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HARPER'S 1^ 
HAN DY=B O O K 

FOR GIRLS 

EDITED BY 

ANNA PARMLY PARET 

ILLUSTRATED 




HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 

NEW YORK AND LONDON 

MCMX 



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Copyright, igio, by Harper & Brothkks 



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Published February, igio 
Printed in the United Stales of America 



©CI.A25GG78 



CONTENTS 

Part I 
THE HOME 

PAGE 

CHAPTER I.— WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 3 
The Treatment of Walls Practical Examples 

The Draperies Bureau and Table Covers 

A Corner Dressing-Table 

CHAPTER II.— THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS ... 14 
Window-Curtains A "Bull's-Eye" Window 

CHAPTER III.— WINDOW GARDENS 22 

Some Panel Designs The Flowers 

Plaster-of-Paris Panels The Planting 

CHAPTER IV.— PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS .... 32 
Etchings, Engravings, and French and English Art 

Prints Framing and Hanging 

Unhackneyed Subjects Photographic Possibilities 

The Italian Masters A Blue-and- White Frieze 

The Flemish School A Musical Frieze 

The Nursery 

CHAPTER V.—HOME-MADE FIRE-SCREENS 49 

The Frames The Covering 

The Decoration 
vii 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

CHAPTER VI.— ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 53 

Lamps and Shades Fenders and Fire-Sets 

Clocks and Vases Warming-Pans and Chafing- 

PoTTERY Dishes 

Casts Knockers and Latches 

Old Brasses Dutch Brasses 

Candlesticks Russian Brasses 

Damascus Work 



Part II 
ARTS AND CRAFTS 

CHAPTER VII.— SIMPLE CARPENTRY ........ 73 

Tools An Easel 

Joints Hanging Book-Shelves 

A Low Bench A Plant-Box 

A Step-Bench A Photograph-Box 

A Shoe-Box An Improved Lunch-Box 

CHAPTER VIII.— WOOD-CARVING 88 

Tools Relief-Carving 

Chip-Carving The "Applied" Method 

CHAPTER IX.— WIRE- WORK . . . . ' 100 

A Bird-Cage Bracket A Fairy Lamp , 

A Photograph Easel A Picture-Frame 

A Match-Box A Glove-Box 



CHAPTER X.— LEATHER- WORKING 106 

The Material An Opera-Bag 

The Process Tooled and Embroidered 

A Card-Case Leather Trimmings 

A Book-Cover A Collar-and-Cuff Set 

A Table-Mat Leather Embroidery 

viii 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

CHAPTER XL— THE ART OF ENAMELLING 119 

The Kiln and Tools The Metal 

Preparing the Colors The Process 



CHAPTER XII.— HAND-MADE JEWELRY 126 

Material and Tools Making a Ring 

Soldering Necklaces 

CHAPTER XIIL— BLOCK-PRINTING . - 134 

The Preparation of the Block The Colors 

The Printing 

CHAPTER XIV.— STENCIL-WORK 141 

The Outfit The Process 

Stencil Cutting Some Suggestive Designs 

CHAPTER XV.— CLAY - MODELLING AND PLASTER- 
CASTING 151 

The Technique of the Art A Medallion Head 

Glue and Gelatine Moulds Coin and Metal Casts 

Modelling a Foot Plaster-Casting in General 

Bas-Relief Modelling Making a Casting of a Hand 

CHAPTER XVI.— PYROGRAPHY 168 

The Tools Practical Hints 

The Method of Working The Varnish Finish 

Experimental Work The Practice of Pyrography 

Leather-Work 

CHAPTER XVII.— CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES .... 178 
The Materials The Iris Design 

Marking and Cutting Out A Butterfly Shade 

The Coloring Candle-Shades 

Cutting the Design 
ix 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

CHAPTER XVIIL— RAFFIA BASKETS i88 

Details of Weaving A Quicker Stitch 

As TO Designs 



CHAPTER XIX.— HAND- WOVEN RUGS . 193 

The Loom in the Home The Colors 

The Material Practical Hints 



Part III 

NEEDLEWORK AND MILLINERY 

CHAPTER XX.— SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS ... 201 
The First Day's Lesson Applying Measures to Pattern 

How TO Measure Grading the Sleeve Pattern 

The Second Day's Lesson The Third Day's Lesson 

CHAPTER XXL— DETAILS OF DRESS FINISHING ... 219 
Facing Skirts On Making Plackets 

Finishing the Top of Facing Inverted Pleat at the Back 
Lined Skirts of a Skirt 

CHAPTER XXII.— MAKING A SET OF MUSLIN GARMENTS 228 
Cutting the Garment How to Cut a Pattern 

A Corset-Cover i 

CHAPTER XXIII.— MAKING FANCY APRONS 235 

Chafing-Dish Aprons A Pointed Apron 

An Apron of India Lawn A Colored Apron 

A Fitted Lace-Trimmed Apron 

CHAPTER XXIV.— HOME MILLINERY 241 

Summer Hats 

X 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER XXV.— EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



PAGE 
252 



Outline Pictures 

The New England Stitch 

Colors 

Darning Backgrounds 



General Principles 

Silks 

Simple Patterns 

A Chinese Design 



Part IV 

GIFTS 

CHAPTER XXVI.— HINTS TO SANTA CLAUS 271 



Button's Chum 

A Toy FOR the Baby 

A Soft Worsted Ball 

Perfumed Linings for Bureau 

Drawers 
Photograph or Music Rack 
Miniature "Crates" for Bon- 
bons 



A Star-Shaped Paper Box 
A Circular Paper Box 
Square Box with Cover 

Attached 
Ribbon Favors 
A Holder for Ribbons 
Needle - Books and Utility 

Bags 



Ribbon-Covered Boxes 



CHAPTER XXVII.— EASTER FAVORS 

Fancy Easter Eggs An Eggful of Candies 



285 



( 

Part V 

OUT-OF-DOORS 

CHAPTER XXVIIL— HOME-MADE HAMMOCK 
How TO Make It 



293 



CHAPTER XXIX.— AT THE SEA-SHORE 296 

The Sea- Weed Zones A Field Press 

Mounting Sea-Weed Shell Set for Writing-Table 

A Sea- Weed Press Shell Decoration 

xi 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

CHAPTER XXX.— SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 302 

Scallops, Shrimps, and Snails Caddis- Worms 
Hermit-Crabs and Pipe-Fish Sticklebacks and Dragon- 

A Fresh- Water Aquarium Flies 

Tadpoles and Rock-Fish 



CHAPTER XXXI.— BUTTERFLY COLLECTING .... 314 

The Mounting of Butterflies 



Part VI 

AMUSEMENTS AND MISCELLANY 

CHAPTER XXXIL— PRIVATE THEATRICALS 321 

A Home-Made Stage Scenery 

The Proscenium Frame Prompt - Book and Stage- 

The Curtain Plot 

The Arrangement of Lights The Scene-Plot 

The Property-Plot 

CHAPTER XXXIIL— THE DINING-TABLE 337 

The Setting of the Table The Luncheon-Table 

CHAPTER XXXIV.— PICNIC LUNCHEONS 342' 

Getting Ready . Sandwiches | 

The Salad Cake 

Frapped Fruits 



INTRODUCTION 

THE success of Harper's Practical Books for Boys has 
brought the publishers many requests for a Handy- 
hook for Girls which should be modem, attractive, and 
practical. In preparing this book the editor has consulted 
many experts in various departments, and has used the 
wide facilities of Harper's Bazar to test the tastes of girls 
of the present day, and also to introduce new opportunities 
for interesting achievement. 

This book points the way to all those delightful home 
arts and industries that the average girl loves. It tells a 
girl enough about each subject to guide her in her first 
experiments — enough to help her to decide which path of 
the many indicated she wishes to follow if she cares to 
specialize; in other words, it will serve to rouse to action 
any dormant talent the girl possesses, whether domestic, 
artistic, or social. In the meantime, while she is experi- 
menting, the help that she gets from this book will show 
her how to find amusement in doing things for herself, 
and how to make many sides of her home and social life 
more attractive. 

Just as modern geography begins at the door-step, this 
book starts from the girl's own room. After some general 
explanations and introduction the reader is shown how to 

xiii 



INTRODUCTION 



arrange and beautify her room, and explanations are given 
of the many things which she can make for utiHty or adorn- 
ment. From her room this plan is carried throughout the 
home, to show how the reader's own hands can aid in mak- 
ing the home beautiful. 

The second part is occupied with arts and crafts. This 
offers instructions in simple carpentering, wood-carving, 
and metal-work, leather-work, tapestry, bead-work, and 
many other crafts, including chapters on the art of enam- 
elling, jewelry-making, and block-printing by Mrs. Mabel 
Tuke Pries tman. 

The third part explains a very extensive variety of needle 
fancy-work, embroidery, and like subjects. 

The fourth part shows how to make a tempting assort- 
ment of Christmas presents and Easter and other gifts. 
The next section of the book deals in general with outdoor 
possibilities, the collection and preservation of sea-weeds, 
herbariums, aquariums, the collection of butterflies, etc. 

Other features of this comprehensive book include the 
social side of the home as regards ways of entertaining in 
the informal style suitable for young girls. Parties for 
special festival occasions are described, favors, and how to 
make them are included, and some general instruction is 
given in setting the table and decorating it for such enter- 
tainments. Amusements are touched upon with the pur- 
pose of widening the interest of a book which is designed to 
be a resource and a companion, providing entertainment 
as well as the training of eye and hand — a practical and 
comprehensive handy-book for American girls. 

xiv 



Part I 
THE HOME 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 

Chapter I 

WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 

THE twentieth century is rich in new interests for girls 
— interests of a kind which make for independence and 
pleasure. The time is long since past when sewing or 
painting ranked as a girl's chief occupation. The pos- 
sibilities of arts and crafts, the many avenues to the joy of 
achievement opened to the trained eye and hand, are within 
the reach of girls, provided simple and practical guidance is 
afforded. The importance of such guidance and the neces- 
sity for interest are constantly kept in mind in these chap- 
ters, which avoid the embarrassments of complicated prep- 
arations and expense. 

Naturally the home is the centre. The daughter of the 
family can help to make that home beautiful through aids 
in decoration and furnishing, which, with a little knowledge, 
she can supply herself. The life of the home also can be 
enriched in countless ways, and so the circle widens, in- 
cluding new interests, new ways of achievement, new pleas- 

3 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ures, and, through the practical knowledge gained, new 
openings to profit as well as pleasure. 

In the home the natural starting-point is the girl's own 
room. 

The smaller the bedroom, the greater the necessity for 
a bare floor and rug. It is impossible to keep it clean in 
any other way. Mattings tear easily, and ought not to be 
used in a room where a bed to be made must be pulled 
out from the wall. The bare floor is not injured by the 
moving, and its scratches can be concealed by a rug. Floors 
may be stained with a solution of permanganate of potash, 
the strength being tested to secure the proper shade. As 
this is only a water-color, it should not be used except on 
new wood or on wood which is free from varnish or grease. 
Grease and varnish, however, can always be removed from 
old floors or old wood with lye, well washed out, and then 
washed over with vinegar. After a stain has been applied, 
the floor, to be put in perfect condition, should receive one 
or more coats of filler, depending on how much the grain has 
been raised. After being rubbed with sandpaper, it may be 
waxed or finished only with shellac. The worst of floors 
can be successfully treated if these directions are followed. 
They were given me by an ofiicer of our regular ariny, who 
follows them whenever he moves into new quarters. 

Any painter or carpenter will sell you a walnut stain. 
This can be applied with a brush. A coat of shellac over 
the stain gives a good polish, and makes a floor presentable 
with little or no trouble. It can be kept shining after it 
has been washed by being rubbed with a coarse flannel 
dampened with a mere suggestion of oil. 

4 



WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 



The Treatment of Walls 

In the treatment of the bedroom walls, the size of the 
room must be considered, the amount of light admitted, 
the position of the bed, and last, but by no means least, 
the owner's predilections for particular colors. These pre- 
dilections should always be respected, although red should 
be used but sparingly in bedrooms. It is best never to 
have red walls. Red flowers on a white ground may be 
introduced, but the red must be broken and scattered. You 
can again use it in your draperies if you do so with dis- 
cretion, and now and then a strong note of red in a chair 
or a bedspread may be permitted, but ordinarily red lacks 
the freshness and coolness which a bedroom should suggest. 

There are an endless number of pretty and cheap papers 
to be found; those showing large flowers, however, are not 
to be thought of in small rooms. Paint in many instances 
is better than any paper, and if you know enough about 
mixing colors to direct the ordinary painter, or if you are 
sure of your man's appreciation of tones, painted walls, 
which can be wiped down at intervals, are strongly urged. 

The Draperies 

Hangings will enable you to give to each room a charac- 
ter of its own. Suppose, for instance, that you paint your 
woodwork white and your walls a delicate rose tint, using 
a pretty chintz, showing roses on a white ground, both at 
the windows and on the bed. Your room would assume a 

5 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



certain quality at once. Enamelled white furniture or 
mahogany, or even a home-made chintz dressing-table and 
cushioned chairs, would help to give it a more individual 
air. The feeling of the room, again, might be altogether 
changed by the substitution of a soft, warm yellow for the 
rose, by those who love yellow better. The bed could then 




Fig. i 

be covered with white, and the hangings at the windows 
be made of a soft yellow trimmed with ruffles of white lace. 
Blue or green might be used on the walls — yellows al- 
ways, by-the-way, when the woodwork is oak. Still greater 
variety might be added by using blue, apple-green, or rose 

6 



WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 

draperies with the different walls. These draperies, it goes 
without saying, should never be of wool nor any heavy 
stuff. You must have things that wash, unless all your 
appointments are so sumptuous that they entitle you to 
the use of silks or embroidered hangings; but even then 
your good taste might be questioned. 

Some of the seven-cent flowered muslins are most charm- 
ing when ruffled for curtains and covers, or when trimmed 
with a white cotton-ball fringe. With ordinary denim and 
dotted muslin, or even with cheese-cloth, any bedroom may 
be made charming. There are many chintzes that cost 
only fifteen or sixteen cents a yard. The printed Indian 
cottons are interesting, and the cretonnes, armures, scrims, 
cotton damasks, and taffetas all lend themselves with de- 
lightful results to the decoration of bedrooms. There is 
an infinite variety from which to make a selection, but it is 
never to be forgotten that however pretty the paper, a 
large flower has no place in a small room. Figured and 
flowered curtains also have no place in one hung with 
flowered or figured paper. Heavy curtains ought not to be 
lighter in tones than the walls. With an occasional por- 
tiere the case alters, and again with certain Venetian silks 
taking up some one tone in the room. 

Practical Examples 

Burlaps make an excellent wall covering for small rooms, 
especially when a wall is likely to be rubbed by any one 
making the bed. It can be wiped off with ammonia and 
water, and picture-nails can be driven into it and pulled 

7 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



out without leaving a mark. The room shown in Fig. i 
has a green burlap on the wall, the wood and ceiling being 
white. The candlesticks on the bureau are of green Dutch 
pottery. The bed has a valance and cover of green armure 
costing thirty-five cents a yard, and trimmed with a narrow 
yellow gimp shot with green, and costing ten cents a yard. 
In the middle of the spread, just below the pillow, the own- 
er's monogram has been worked in with the yellow gimp. 
This monogram is repeated in the right-hand upper corner 
of the curtain. These monograms, by-the-way, must be 
enlarged with some skill. They must be drawn on a piece 
of paper, and the monogram pierced with a succession of 
pin-pricks. This paper is then placed on the spread and 
a white powder sprinkled over it. When the paper is re- 
moved, the monogram outlined in powder appears. Chi- 
nese white or even a piece of common chalk can then be 
used to fix the outline of the letters. A white bed in so 
small a room, and necessarily pushed close to the wall, 
would have presented too violent a contrast to the green 
burlaps. A light wall-paper, altering the conditions, would 
have necessitated an alteration in the treatment followed. 
The "four-poster" shown in Fig. 2 has been hung with 
a flowered cretonne, low in tone to harmonize With the 
walls, the mahogany furniture and woodwork. This room 
is large enough to hold both a dressing and a night table 
with its candle at the head of the bed. The seat in front 
of the dressing-table, it will be noticed, has no back. Op- 
posite this dressing-table the bureau and wash-stand are 
placed, while between them, with its head toward the win- 
dows and coming out from the wall, stands the lounge. 

8 



WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 

Special attention should also be called to this arrange- 
ment, since, curiously enough, the disposition of the bed- 
room lounge often presents itself as a perplexing problem 




Fig. 2 

to householders, who imagine that it must go flat against 
the wall, or at the foot of the bed, or else go out of the 
room! The disposition of such a lounge, however, intended 
as it is for the owner's exclusive use, for her afternoon naps, 
or whatever quiet she takes with a book or a needle, is to 

9 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



be studied from her point of view, not from that of the 
visitor, who, entering a parlor, must look about for a wel- 
coming seat. The presence of this lounge is imperative in 
all bedrooms, and it is only when a room is too small to 
admit it that its absence is to be excused. It should have 
on it always a pillow or two, and a soft silk blanket neatly 
folded, for placing over the feet. 

Bureau and Table Covers 

Bureau and table covers should be so made that they 
can be sent to the wash once a week. This cannot be done 
when muslins with dainty laces and ribbons are used. Rib- 
bons, for all the daintiness which they suggest, belong only 
to the bedrooms of the rich, who can afford to throw them 
away the moment that they have lost their freshness . Tempt- 
ing, therefore, as they are, they should be avoided by the 
girl of moderate means. Much better and more enduring 
effects may be attained by the use of drawn or embroidered 
linen covers, which are made to fit the tables. A fine bird's- 
eye makes a pretty cover, trimmed with a narrow, fluted 
ruffle of white cambric or linen lace. A fine white linen, em- 
broidered with the owner's monogram, and trimmed with 
white lace, or finished with a hem-stitch or scallop, always 
suggests the careful and fastidious housekeeper. Dutch, 
Hungarian, and German embroideries are good. Dotted 
muslin covers trimmed with wash lace are very dainty for 
tables and bureaus. An enamelled bed trimmed with dotted 
muslin and lace to match in a room with a flowered paper 
is very lovely. The valance and the spread are both made 

lO 



WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-RQOMS 

over a color, and the pillows sometimes having separate 
covers, also of the dotted . muslin, and sometimes merely 
hidden under the cover. The bedspread, by-the-way, should 
be cut at the two lower corners, so as to be pulled straight 
around the posts. 

A Corner Dressing-Table 

A very pretty dressing-table for the corner of a girl's 
room is illustrated in Fig. 3. As show^n in Fig. 4, it is built 





Fig. 4 



Fig. 3 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



up on a sugar barrel, which is thirty inches high and twenty- 
four inches across at the widest place. When it is inverted, 
screws or nails can be driven through the bottom to hold 
the triangular ledge or table-top in place. 

Three boards should be cut to form a quarter of a circle 
thirty inches long on the two straight sides, as shown in 
Fig. 4 A. The sweep, or curved edge, is one-quarter of a 
five-foot circle. Fig. 4 A also shows how this quarter-circle 
is placed on the top of the barrel. 

To keep the boards together, two battens thirty inches 
long are nailed or screwed underneath the straight edges. 

Screws rather than nails should be used in fastening the 
quarter-circle to the barrel. They will not pull out or work 
loose so readily as nails. 

The canopy top is supported on a framework consisting 
of three sticks, each three feet long, and a triangular top 
made of three short sticks, as Fig. 4 shows. At the top 
the sticks are joined as shown in B, and the lower ends are 
attached to the table-top with long, slim, steel- wire nails. 

If the color scheme of the room is pink, pale-green, or 
canary color, this same color may be carried out in the 
drapery. Sateen or colored cotton goods may be overlaid 
with a dotted swiss or scrim, and tacked to the framework. 
At the bottom a valance is made and caught to the circu- 
lar edge of the ledge, which is covered with gimp held by 
brass-headed tacks. 

The upper sticks of the frame are bound with strips of 
white muslin before the drapery is attached. This is to 
prevent the wood from showing through the goods, and 
also to make an anchorage in which some stitches can 

12 



WHAT CAN BE DONE IN SLEEPING-ROOMS 

be taken, if necessary, to hold the canopy drapery in 
place. 

For this top it will be necessary to have two swiss or thin 
scrim coverings, between which one thickness of the colored 
material is laid. Both sides of the drapery will be seen, 
and it is necessary to show the colored goods on both sides. 

A shirred band of the goods may be arranged along the 
top stick of the canopy, and bows at the corners of the top 
and the edge will add to its appearance. 

An oval or square mirror in a white or light enamelled 
frame can be suspended by wires from the top. 



Chapter II 

THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS 

IT is only in the apartments of the exceptional few that 
windows must be arranged with reference to a good out- 
look. Unless you live on a square or a park or overlook 
the river, you are not apt to have a pleasing expanse to 
consider, nor need you study carefully the interior of your 
room as part of a general line of construction leading up 
to a particular view outside, as when a wide window, for 
instance, opens directly on to a grove of oak-trees. Perfect 
freedom of access to windows does not have to be so care- 
fully considered in your arrangement of things. Your win- 
dows for the most part, in fact, serve only a utilitarian pur- 
pose, that of admitting light and air. They are, with their 
hangings, really part of the general framing of the room, 
as it were, as the walls and the doors are — one more panel 
in your wall surface to be decorated according to given 
rules. The particular problem confronting th^ house- 
keeper, then, is a question of tones and lights, of agreeable 
shades not only harmonizing with the colors of the room, 
and making the interior in which you are temporarily housed, 
with its surrounding windows and doors, one composite 
whole, every part blending and balancing with the other, 

14 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS 

but producing as well a restful impression upon you when 
you look directly toward the light. 

Take, for example, the arrangement of some windows in a 
city apartment. These windows, being on the tenth floor, 
give a view of a mile or more of chimneys and ugly roofs, 
with a stretch of northwest sky beyond. After much study 
an uncomfortable problem has been met in this way: The 




Fig.t 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



window-sills outside have been filled with rows of ever- 
greens in pots, so that if you are standing in the room you 
see nothing of the ugly foreground below, with its rows and 
rows of chimneys. Curtains of a soft tone are hung from 
the top of the window over the glass of the upper sash, and 
are then made by their gathers to fall in a straight line 
across the window, a half -yard or more above the ever- 
greens. In this way any one sitting in the room, on look- 
ing up, sees only a foreground of greens against the blue of a 
northwest sky, the straight line of the soft curtain forming 
part of the frame to a lovely picture (Fig. i). The tact of 
the hostess has thus been proved by her success in making 
her windows agreeable, both to those who stand and to 
those who sit in her drawing-room. 

Window-Cttf tains 

Again, to those who love the sky and who want it in their 
rooms, and yet who must shut out the eye of the passer-by 
below, the arrangement of the curtains becomes a serious 
question. Not only their texture and their colors, but the 
lines in which they are made to fall, become questions of 
importance. Thus in many New York windows you will 
see the thin, soft, ruffled curtains crossed and looped back 
just below the top of the lower sash. This gives th^ inmate 
an opportunity to look out in the street, while still protect- 
ing the eye from the unpleasant reflections of opposite 
houses. When, however, in an apartment on an upper 
floor, a glimpse of the sky, instead of an opposite wall, is 
possible, these curtains should be looped higher up — in an 

i6 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS 

angle made by the upper frame, in fact. The lower part of 
the window can then be filled with plants, but the sky in 
all its beauty may be freely shown. 

The look of a window to the passer-by should never be 
neglected, and unless you study the question from the out- 
side as well as from the inside of your room you are not 
apt to make your windows a success. Windows have often 
been likened to the eyes of a house, but they are something 
more than that. It is easy, after a little, to know just 
what kind of a face is behind them, whether it belongs to 
a dainty personage, or to one who has only hung up a cur- 
tain in order that she may do what she chooses behind it — 
peep out at you unobserved if she wants, or be untidy with- 
out betraying herself! A sheer soft silk or a silkolene will 
give you perfect protection from the passer-by, serving you 
as well as any lace curtain falling straight. It has many 
advantages. You can dress your window with thin cur- 
tains to look well from the outside, draping them prettily, 
tying them with a ribbon, looping them high or low, getting 
just the lines you want, so that a pleasing impression is 
made upon the outsider below. Between these thin cur- 
tains and the room a soft, transparent silk or silkolene not 
only gives you privacy, but does so gracefully, as it were, 
without putting the affront of too obvious a protection 
between you and the passer-by. It allows the light to 
come through and you to look out, and it adds to your 
room certain tones impossible without it. The color chosen 
must depend upon those in the room. Red is always a 
little theatric, rose tones are becoming, and the yellows 
cheerful in all weathers. But the material used must be 

17 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



sheer and soft, so that the curtain does not present the 
impression of a fiat surface between you and the light, but 
permits the outline and quality of the thin muslin curtain 
to be visible, the thin curtain remaining what it was origi- 
nally designed to be, part of the general line of construction. 
This fashion is strongly recommended to those who want 
a view of the sky, as well as soft and agreeable lights, and 
who are afflicted by the windows of their opposite neigh- 
bors. Sash-curtains which cover only the lower part of a 
window are never seen to-day, happily enough, since few 
things are so ugly; but this arrangement of soft silk over 
a muslin or lace curtain gives quite as much protection 
without afflicting the eye (Fig. 2) . 

The cost of the silk must vary with the quality, but silko- 
lene, when good in tone, answers every purpose. A yel- 
low^ silkolene costing only ten cents a yard was used in 
a comer window with the summer and autumn sun burn- 
ing into it, and the owner hardly knew whether it had 
faded or not at the end of several months, so perfectly had 
it lasted. 

White muslin curtains are never agreeable in strong sun- 
light unless softened by one of these thin over-curtains, 
but the market is full of cream tones, yellows, and soft 
shades. When one does not want the silk curtains, there- 
fore, good effects may be attained without them. China 
silks are most satisfactory, and can be washed with im- 
punity. In windows with leaded panes, or in those filled 
with plants, or where a question of breaking up of sharp 
lines is alone considered, these China silk curtains of white, 
green, yellow, or pink can be hung with a deep valance 

18 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS 




Fig. 2 



running across the top of the window, and two straight 
pieces falHng from underneath, one on either side. One 
gets a good outHne in this way, and, with one fern or small 
rubber-tree in a brass pot set on the sill, one is able to get 
perfect privacy until the lamps are lit at night, 

?9 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



A '^BdlVEye" Window 

There is nothing like soft yellow in a window. It always 
suggests sunlight even on the gloomiest day. A celebrated 
wit making a tour of a lady's apartment and coming upon 
a bath-room in which there was a window with yellow 
panes, said: **I see you bathe in sunshine!" In dark bed- 
rooms, therefore, or in those opening on shafts, or in win- 
dows only a few feet away from an opposite wall, yellow is 
strongly urged. When this cannot be done with drapery, 




Fig, 3 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF WINDOWS 

or when windows with leaded panes of yellow glass are 
not possible, resort may be had to varnish, mixed with a 
little raw sienna or the Venetian pink which gives a yellow. 
A window coming against a house some twelve feet away, 
when so treated gave perfect privacy to the occupant of 
the room, besides adding an agreeable light. Even at 
night the window was opaque. Another window, shown 
in Fig. 3, has been treated along these lines, but with more 
elaboration of design. The lower half has been painted in 
bull's-eyes, while the lower panes of the upper sash have 
a row of flowers. The coat of arms of one branch of the 
family has been painted in. The window has been shown 
here without drapery, in order that the best light might 
fall on it. 

The cost of materials for treating windows with plain 
bull's-eyes is small, amounting to seventy-six cents. These 
include one tube of Italian pink, one of black paint, a paint- 
brush, a bottle of turpentine, and a bottle of varnish. The 
black oil paint may be mixed with a little shellac, varnish, 
or Japan dryer, for the leading, which should show lines 
about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch in width. Cloud 
in between with varnish, mixed with a little sienna or pink. 
The effect of these windows is altogether delightful, every 
opportunity for ingenuity being seized. Sometimes the 
flowers painted are delicate in tone, and again they are 
large and decorative in character. 



Chapter III 

WINDOW GARDENS 

A WINDOW containing a collection of healthy and 
blooming plants stamps the owner as one possessing 
refined tastes and a kind disposition, together with a love 
for all that is beautiful in nature. Window-boxes orna- 
mented with English or American tiles, and lined inside 
with zinc, are too costly for the size of young people's 
pockets. Besides, there does not begin to be as much fun 
in a "store" window-box as is contained in one made at 
home with the assistance of father or big brother. 

A well-made window-box for the cultivation of plants 
during the winter and summer months will last a number 
of years with ordinary care. 

Fig. I represents a home-made window-box when com- 
pleted. The box consists of well-seasoned one-inch white 
pine thoroughly nailed together. At one end of the box 
(A) a hole is bored to allow all surplus water to di'ain off 
and into the pan, also shown at A. To prevent the water 
and moisture contained in the soil from rotting and warp- 
ing the woodwork, several coats of hot asphalt are applied 
with an old paint-brush (asphalt varnish will also answer) , 
thus closing up all possible leaks, and thoroughly protect- 

P3 



WINDOW GARDENS 



ing the woodwork. There is no rule for the proportion of 
window-boxes; the requirements of the plants used and 
the widths of windows and sills govern the proportion of 
the boxes. If the windows intended for boxes are very- 
wide, braces of wood should be fastened across the tops 
and bottoms of the boxes to strengthen them, and extra 
feet nailed on to support them. 

All boxes, as well as flower-pots, containing growing pJants 
should have a thorough ' ' bottom drainage. ' ' This is accom- 
plished by placing on the bottom of the box a layer of broken 
earthenware or old bones broken into small pieces. The 
bones answer a double purpose — that of drainage and a sup- 
ply of plant-food. 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Some Panel Designs 

Fig. 2 is a spruce- wood panel. A square is first drawn 
on the outside of the window-box; this square is painted a 
light green, to contrast with the brown of the spruce twigs. 
After the paint has dried, the guide-lines are ruled from 
corner to corner through the centre. Small twigs of dried 
spruce-wood of a uniform thickness (about that of a lead- 
pencil) are selected. If the leaves do not fall off readily, 
the twigs are placed in an oven and thoroughly dried, so 
that they fall off at the slightest touch. The twigs are bev- 
elled at the ends, as shown in the picture. In the centre 
of the panel is nailed a square of wood equal in thickness 
to the spruce-wood twigs. This square is painted white, 
and is also ornamented with spruce twigs and the small 
cones of the spruce, the intention being to produce an ele- 
vated centre to the panel. The spruce twigs are firmly 
fastened with small brads. Over all two or three coats of 
furniture varnish are applied to develop the rich colors of 
the spruce- wood, as well as to protect it from outside 
moisture. 

Fig. 3 is a cone panel. The outer border is composed of 
the burrs of the liquid-amber tree ("alligator-wood"), with 
comers of pine cones. The next line consists of a band of 
spruce branches with the cones attached. The centre is 
a sheet of white-birch bark, with hemlock cone comers. 
The ground consists of two coats of paint of a cream-white 
tint. The cones are fastened on with small brads or pins 
that have been shortened to a convenient length. 

Fig. 4 is a tasteful grape-vine panel. The canes are first 

24 



WINDOW GARDENS 



softened in boiling water or steam to make them pliable 
for bending into curves. The shorter curved branches con- 
sist of short sections neatly joined to the leading curves. 
The centre is composed of a framework of liquid -amber 



^^^^M 


s 


M^ 


1 


^^^ 




Fiff, 4 



Fig. 5 




Fig. 6 



Fig. 7 



wood, with grape-vine monogram or other device. The 
grain of the white pine when brought out with the varnish 
answers for a groundwork. 

Fig. 5 is a panel covered with marbled oil-cloth (such as 

25 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



is used for covering tables and desks) of a light tint. It is 
first cut exactly the size of the panel, on which it is glued, 
the edges being secured by nailing on to them narrow strips 
of floor oil-cloth of a checkered or vine pattern. The cor- 
ner-pieces and centre consist of simple and neat patterns in 
oil-cloth, but rich in contrasts of colors. Brilliant oil-colors 
can be used for borderings and framing in lines; intense 
blacks, reds, and whites are best. Over all, a coat of var- 
nish is applied. In Fig. 6 the materials consist of "clink- 
ers," or slag, from furnaces, stoves, glass-house furnaces, 
and iron-foundries. These are fastened to the woodwork 
of the box by means of hot asphalt. 

The comer -pieces in the illustration are composed of 
clinkers of a light color. The central group consists of 
vitrified clinkers from an iron-foundry or glass-house. 
The handsomest clinkers are to be obtained from glass- 
houses, as they are composed of more or less glass of dif- 
ferent colors. 

After the groups of clinkers are firmly fastened in posi- 
tion, a coating consisting of varnish mixed with any of 
the chrome greens is applied to all parts of the exposed 
woodwork. The clinkers look much more brilliant when 
touched up here and there with gold or copper bronze. 
This is accomplished by applying varnish to the clinkers; 
then, before it dries, dust on the bronze-powder ^yith a 
dabber of cotton or wool. 

Fig, 7 consists of cross - sections of various kinds of 
woods, which are well seasoned previous to being glued to- 
gether. 

Straight branches of red cedar, black walnut, red birch, 

26 



WINDOW GARDENS 



etc., are selected; these are cut into uniform lengths, and 
tightly bound together with strong cord or wire, after which 
a sufficient quantity of very hot glue is poured on one end 
of the bundle to fill up all the spaces and join the branches 
together. After the glue has become dry and hard, the 
bundle is sawed into cross-sections of one-half inch thick- 
ness. 

These cross - sections are smoothed down with emery- 
paper and sawed into strips, which are glued on to the 
window -box when forming the panel. The centre of the 
panel is composed of various kinds of woods, polished to 
bring out the grain, after which they are inlaid, the spaces 
between being filled in with glue. Over all, several coats 
of varnish are applied. 

Plaster-of-Paris Panels 

A handsome panel may be made of plaster of Paris. On 
a sheet of wrapping-paper, exactly the size of the panel, 
draw the design to be worked in plaster. 

In mixing the plaster a solution of glue and water is 
used; the glue is for the purpose of delaying the setting of 
the plaster, in order to gain time to trim up the plaster 
when necessary. To the glue and water is added the color- 
ing material. A small quantity of plaster is mixed with the 
glue water at a time, to the consistency of a thick paste. 
The plaster is urged from the point of the spoon with 
which it is applied with a pointed stick that has been 
thoroughly oiled to prevent the plaster from adhering to 
it. Some practice is required to guide the plaster so as to 

27 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



keep it within the outlines of the drawing. Another way 
is to make a coil or cornucopia of stout, well-glazed, and 
thoroughly greased writing-paper, made small at the point. 
A quantity of the plaster is placed in the coil, and by gently 
squeezing the top of the horn a continuous stream is forced 
out; this may, by moving the horn in straight or curved 
lines, be made to fill in any pattern drawn = After the 
plaster patterns have thoroughly dried, they are glued in 
position on the window-box and well varnished. 

The Flowers 

Having made our boxes, it is now necessary to fill them, 
and not the least delightful part of this garden on a small 
scale is, with the money in hand, to pore over a florist's 
catalogue, and get quite wild with all the gorgeousness 
promised for that small bill or large piece of silver. Hya- 
cinths, tulips, crocuses, narcissus, snowdrops, lilies, freesias, 
etc., with all their varieties and colors, are so easy to raise, 
and so lovely about blooming. What a wild confusion they 
do raise in one's mind as to which to choose when it is not 
possible to get them all! But beware of getting really 
wild, and expecting too much of the box garden. 

Tulips are the cheapest, as some of them are not more 
than five cents apiece, and less by the dozen. They make 
a great show, too, with their rich colors, and a way they 
have of displaying all they are. Beds of them out-of-doors 
are very ornamental; but if one has only a tiny indoor 
garden — ^well, they do not perfume the house„ 

Crocuses have no odor either? but a dozen of these little 

28 



WINDOW GARDENS 



bulbs can be bought for ten cents, and may be scattered 
among the larger ones, where they will peep forth in the 
daintiest robes of white and gold and lilac and pink, like 
the first smiles of spring. It is quite settled, then, that 
crocuses are among the ** must-haves." 

The very best way of spending your money, after the 
crocuses are secured, is to lay it all out on hyacinths. They 
are deliciously fragrant, have many beautiful colors and 
shades of color, and they can always be depended upon. 
Some one has compared the hyacinth among winter bulbs 
to the rose among other flowers ; for no garden is complete 
without roses, while some lovely ones are all roses. So 
our garden in a box shall be all hyacinths. 

The little Roman hyacinth, with small clusters of single 
flowers, is pretty and cheap — four bulbs, promising red, 
white, blue, and yellow blossoms, can be had for forty 
cents. This dainty hyacinth has several flower stalks, 
which give it a more graceful appearance than its fine but 
rather stiff cousin, with her one great pyramid of bloom. 
Three Roman hyacinth bulbs can be planted in one pot 
that measures fiYe inches across the top, and here they will 
live peaceably together, and attend each to her own in- 
dividual affairs of sprouting and blooming. 

Whether stiff or not, the lovely column-shaped mass of 
flowers which the statelier hyacinth sends up from its 
calyx of narrow, thick leaves is always a delight, both for 
beauty and for fragrance, and half a dozen such plants 
will make a garden of themselves. They are both double 
and single, and it is often hard to tell which is the prettier. 
Those that have particular names, and appear in the cata- 
3 29 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



logues as ''Lord Wellington and Madame de Stael, beautiful 
blush shades; Countess of Salisbury, lovely clear blue; 
Czar Nicholas, delicate pink; La Candeur, a beautiful pure 
white; Jenny Lind, bright red," etc., cost from twenty to 
seventy-five cents apiece. But unnamed ones, and very 
pretty ones, too, can be bought at ten and fifteen cents. 
With three of the half-dozen at ten cents, and the other 
three at fifteen, our hyacinths will cost just seventy-five cents. 
This leaves twenty-five cents from a dollar for crocuses 
and freesias, the latter being tiny bulbs with leaves like 
grass. The trumpet-shaped flowers are cream-color, and 
grow in a row on the stem, which is bent where the first 
blossom begins. But what a wealth of sweetness these 
little flowers send forth! We cannot do without them if 
there is a dollar to spend — and if there isn't, we'll give up 
some of the others. Three freesias can be had for fifteen 
cents. 

The Planting 

Now that we have made our selection and bought the 
bulbs, what is to be done next? The first thing is to de- 
cide when we prefer to have our flowers. Eleven or twelve 
weeks should be allowed from the time of planting them; 
and for the middle of February, the bulbs should be planted 
by December ist. 

For when they are planted the bulbs must be left to 
take a nap of five or six weeks in some cool, dark place, 
where they can get ready for all the work they have to 
do later. But be sure that there are no mice about, for 
these little nibbling wretches are very fond of hyacinths, 

30 



WINDOW GARDENS 



in the same way that the cannibal loves his fellow-creat- 
ures. They may be planted in earth or in moss or in 
water; but earth of the right kind — ^three-quarters of light, 
rich loam to one-quarter of sand — is less troublesome and 
better for the bulbs. Water must have charcoal at the 
bottom to keep it pure, and it needs changing every two 
weeks, while the moss must be kept constantly wet. One 
or two waterings during their period of retirement, to keep 
the soil from getting hard and caked, will be sufficient for 
the earth-planted bulbs. 

By planting in pots, which are afterward arranged in a 
box for the window, the plants can be better attended to, 
and moved forward or a little out of sight when they come 
into bloom, according to height and beauty as well as 
harmonious coloring. Meanwhile they are not idle while 
they are lying there in the dark. They are growing, but it 
is down instead of up. The thread-like roots are getting 
firm and strong, and when there is enough of them to bear 
such a heavy topknot, a little green sprout appears, and it 
is time to bring them into the light and heat. 



Chapter IV 

PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

IF the subject of a color scheme for her room is a difficult 
question for a young girl to cope with, how much more 
difficult is, or should be, the proper selection of pictures, 
which, with books and carefully chosen bric-a-brac, should 
add the last definite note of individuality and beauty to 
the home! A poorly chosen picture, or a good one unwisely 
framed and hung, will cause more discord than an inhar- 
monious color. Fortunate indeed is she who starts with 
nothing worse than bare walls, or a troublesome present or 
two from some friends who recognize the claims of art, 
but whose sense of appreciation is limited to color, likeness, 
and a handsome frame. 

Etchings, Engravings, and Prints 

Bare walls, however, although not as troublesome as ob- 
jectionable pictures, are not at all satisfying, and home can 
never be home until they are filled. Oil-paintings are an 
utter impossibility for a person of moderate means. Etch- 
ings, engravings, and water-colors must be limited to a 
few; in fact, any good original work, although so much to 

32 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

be desired, costs in proportion to its desirability. Beauti- 
ful little water-colors by artists whose names are too ob- 
scure to influence the price may sometimes be found at 
reasonable rates. We may not have the "remarque " prints 
of either old or new engravings or etchings, but we may 
enjoy some of the later proofs, embellished with the pub- 
lisher's name, quite as well, or even photographic repro- 
ductions of the originals. The art-stores have fascinating 
collections of old English prints — colored mezzotints, etch- 
ings, and chromo-lithographs — ^the last the product of from 
twenty to thirty stones wrought by the skilled hands of an 
artist. The prices are high, but not unreasonably so. 
There are prints of English hunting scenes, Dutch interiors, 
and, even more beautiful, of the paintings of the old mas- 
ters in soft, rich colors. An American engraver has pro- 
duced some fascinating mezzotints of Reynolds and Gains- 
borough beauties. The colors are soft and silvery, and the 
effect very satisfying when framed artistically in dull gold, 
with a narrow margin of the paper upon which the print 
was made. The note, ** colored in one printing without 
retouching," combined with the name of the artist, adds 
great value to the prints, for the process is both difficult 
and very unusual. 

All of these pictures we must buy one at a time and at 
long intervals. The walls of the new home must needs 
be desolate for a long time waiting for them. In the mean 
time the spaces can be made beautiful with photographs, 
that greatest blessing and curse of the nineteenth century. 
By means of them we can enjoy all the artistic treasures of 
both the Old and the New World — the paintings, the sculpt- 

33 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ure, the architecture, and the quaint foreign scenes so dear 
to our hearts. The imported Braun and Berlin carbons, 
and the Copley and platinum prints of our own country, 
are artistic treasures in themselves, aside from their value 
as reproductions. Soft and deep in tone and color, they 
never cease to give the deepest artistic satisfaction. Cheap- 
er still are the silver prints, and not to be scorned are the 
photogravure reproductions brought out by so many art 
publishers in their magazines. 

Unhackneyed Subjects 

Our selection of subjects is almost unlimited, but it is in 
this selection that the danger lies. Without absolute con- 
fidence in one's own taste and knowledge, the safest and 
broadest field lies in the copies of the world's art treasures. 
Further and further study awakens an appreciation of one 
great master after another, until our walls show the best 
examples of them all. A danger to be avoided is the more 
or less hackneyed subjects which are to be seen on all sides. 
Who has not caught glimpses of Baby Stuart from the 
street and elevated trains until she is weary of the sight 
of it? Baby Stuart in gold, black, white, and brown! 
When a picture is to be found in the basement of a depart- 
ment store, touched up, it may be, in delicate tones, of blue 
and pink, and with the inevitable elaborate gold frame, the 
subject has lost its attraction and may be tabooed, although 
oftentimes with an inward feeling of disloyalty toward an 
old friend. It adds distinction and individuality to a 
home if the pictures are felt to be an expression of per- 

34 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

sonality and of love, rather than of popular fancy. Alas! 
they always are an expression of personality, although an 
artistic sense which is sleeping or has had no opportunity 
for development must sometimes be translated as no 
artistic taste at all. 

The Italian Masters 

Instead of confining ourselves to the Sistine Madonna, 
beautiful though she is, to Correggio's Holy Night, or to 
Murillo's Conception, let us turn td some of the Raphael 
Madonnas less often seen, his exquisite Madonna del Gran 
Duca, in the Pitti, or one equally beautiful at Chantilly. 
The head of a Madonna full of sweetness and charm is taken 
from that of Filippo Lippi in the Uffizi. For a lover of the 
Florentine school the pure, tender faces of the Botticelli 
Madonnas, both in the National Gallery and in the Louvre, 
never lose their fascination. In the same room in the Louvre 
with the almost too popular Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci 
is another by the same artist, his Saint Anne, full of his own 
peculiar fascination and charm. 

The Flemish School 

The religious subjects of the Italian schools are more 
widely known than those of the other schools, but they lack 
a certain quaintness and beauty which endear the efforts 
of the old Flemish masters to the heart of one who knows 
them. Exquisite in detail and color, the faces pure, sweet, 
ethereal, the figures graceful in their very awkwardness, the 

35 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



old altar-pieces have a unique interest as well as beauty. 
Some of the most beautiful are those of the Van Eycks. 
The exquisite St.Bavon triptych was recently seen framed 
very effectively in a dull gold Gothic frame. The quaint 
Antwerp angels of Memling are beautiful in a dark frame 
of three divisions, as in Fig. i. Holbein's Meier Madonna, at 
Dresden, full of dignity and tenderness, combines the quaint- 
ness of the older painters with the greater technical skill 
of the sixteenth century. His portraits are executed with 
the same exquisite touch and charm. Erasmus in the 
Louvre and Morette in Dresden have a certain resem- 
blance to the interesting Diirer portraits, those of him- 
self and Maximilian at Vienna, and one of a painter in 
Dresden. 

Better known are the portraits of Rembrandt, Franz 
Hals, and Van Dyck. Those of Rembrandt's wife, Saskia, 
and of himself, masterpieces in light and shade, are very 
effective in broad, dark frames. Van Dyck's portrait of a 
Lady and Her Daughter in the Louvre has more real beauty 
and spirituality than most of his portraits of ultra-noble 
lords and ladies. The characteristic touch of Franz Hals 
shows in his Jester and Jolly Man at Amsterdam. We lose 
Rubens' glorious color in the photographs, but we have the 
beautiful eyes and mobile lips in Le Chapeau de Paille and 
Helen Fourment and Her Children. Sir Joshua Reynolds' 
Duchess of Devonshire and Child and Gainsborough's Hon- 
orable Mrs. Graham are both charming in photographs. 
These two painters, together with Lawrence and Romney, 
give us some fascinating children very appropriate for 
children's rooms. Quite different in style but very effec- 

36 







Fiff. i 

ARRANGEMENT OF PICTURES 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



tive, are Watts' portraits and some of the Sargents, Whist- 
lers, Alexanders, and Abbeys of to-day. 

French and English Art 

The portrait is always particularly appropriate for the 
library, hall, or dining-room, but for the drawing-room the 
photographs taken from some of the graceful landscapes 
of Corot, Daubigny, Diaz, or Dupre of the French school, 
or of Constable or Turner of the English school, seem more 
in place. The Fighting Temeraire is very beautiful in the 
rich tones of a photograph. The boys will be delighted 
with Meissonier's military scenes or with the Surrender of 
Breda, by Velasquez, the girls with Greuze heads, and all 
the younger children with the animals of Potter, Cuyp, 
Troyon, Von Marcke, Jacque, and Landseer. 

Very few can resist the fascination of the most beautiful 
of Bume- Jones' fancies. Less known but more beautiful 
than the Golden Stairs are Pan and Psyche, Wine of Circe, 
Studies for the Mask of Cupid, and the series of charming 
figures, Franchesse, Courtesy, Richesse, and Largesse, Watts' 
paintings, although hard to understand, are full of beauty 
and mystery. Love and Life never ceases to charm. 

When the pictures have been selected the difficulties are 
not over. They must be framed and then hung. Framing 
especially requires the eye of an artist. For water-colors 
there must be a mat varying in width with the size of the 

38 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

picture. It may be gold with a gold frame, or, if the paint- 
ing is dark, of the same tone as the strongest note of color, 
with an inconspicuous moulding a tone or two darker. 
White mats are still used when the painting is light, with 
a narrow gilt frame. 

Colored prints vary their frames with their subjects, but 
usually have no mats. Old English hunting scenes with 
a preponderance of flaunting scarlet have narrow black 
frames, Japanese prints either black or brown bamboo with 
the brown prints. The prints of old Madonnas have dull 
gold frames, while engravings and etchings have a mould- 
ing toning in with the brown or black of the print. 

Photographs are almost invariably framed close, the 
frames matching the darkest tone of the picture. The 
artistic framer stains his own frames the exact tone re- 
quired. The moulding must be as simple as possible in de- 
sign. The width is governed both by the size of the picture 
and by the detail in the picture. A landscape or scene con- 
taining many small figures will admit of a very narrow 
moulding, while a large head demands a broad one. No 
definite rule can be given. Landscapes are sometimes 
framed with a double glass to bring out the perspective. 
A carved Florentine frame, either round or oval, is very 
beautiful on a Botticelli or Filippo Lippi head. 

In hanging, the guiding principle as to height is the level 
of the eye, but combined with that are equally important 
considerations of size, shape, and color, in relation both to 
wall-spaces and to each other. The inclination seems to 
be to hang pictures too high, giving an impression of being 
skied. Too high, too far apart, poorly balanced, and form- 

39 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ing steps or gables are pitfalls to be avoided. When one's 
pictures are large and can be hung one in a place, with a 
thought only for the proper height and lighting, the prob- 
lem is a comparatively simple one. The eye must rest di- 
rectly upon it ; it must not give the impression of weighing 
heavily upon the piece of furniture beneath, nor must it 
float off into space above. The shapes must harmonize 




Fig. 2 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

with the shape of the piece of furniture beneath, 
as well as with the space. That the dark places must 
be lighted up with the light pictures and the dark 
photographs hang in the high-lights can easily be seen. 
The screw-eyes must be placed in the picture so that it 
will hang flat instead of tipping out. 

In grouping small pictures the difficulties are many. 
A large picture, strong in detail, for the centre is the first 
necessity. The smaller pictures may be grouped around it 
(Fig. 2). A certain balance must be maintained, but 
geometrical lines must be avoided. Relative size, color, 
shape, and even subjects have to be considered. There 
must be variety and yet withal the balance must not be 
destroyed. Pictures are very obstinate at times, especially 
when one is confronted with the difficulties of a long, un- 
broken wall-space. They will and they will not fall into 
the proper hannony, and one never knows what is to hap- 
pen until the attempt is made. 

Photographic Possibilities 

Abundant means do not always guarantee the best re- 
sults in making a house artistic and homelike unless the 
mistress has refined tastes. It is sometimes quite as un- 
fortunate to have an abundance of money as it is to be 
hampered by limitations in this line. In other words, the 
girl who has a full purse is not so apt to exercise her orig- 
inality as her sister who is obliged to think twice before 
spending her dollar. And, too, there are so many artistic 
ideas that can be carried out to beautify the home and to 

41 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



make it what it should be — the dearest spot on earth— if 
one only has the inclination and the taste to do so. 

Take the matter of photographs, for instance. We are 
all tired of seeing them on the mantel and piano — they 
seem so wholly out of place. They are therefore tucked 
away in albums, out of sight. Nevertheless, in spite of 
their banishment, there is nothing quite so full of decora- 
tive possibilities as the right photograph in the right place. 

A BItie-and-White Frieze 

It is always a problem to know what to do with blue- 
prints, which are rather unsatisfactory possessions when 
pasted in an album. Yet kodak friends continue to pre- 
sent us with these pretty pictures, and fill album after 
album with such souvenirs. 

A clever girl who has the blue-print craze thought of a 
scheme whereby they could be utilized to advantage in 
decorating her room. She therefore took pictures of her 
little sister and her baby brother in all sorts of cunning 
attitudes, such as only children can assume. 

While travelling in the West she took blue-prints of the 
interesting places, as she did also in the South and iti 
Europe. It was decided to make a blue room (Fig. 3). 

The ceiling of this pretty room was decorated in old- 
ivory effect with plaster roses and bow-knots in a blue- 
and-white design. For the upper third of the side walls a 
delicate cream paper was used. A white enamelled picture- 
moulding was then placed just above a frieze of blue-prints, 
and a narrow blue moulding finished this panel. The lower 

42 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 




Fig. 3 



part of the side wall was hung with old-blue book linen, 
the color of which gave character to the entire room. A 
blue velvet Axminster rug, blue-print pillows, and dainty 
scrim curtains gave the finishing touches. 

The frieze of blue-prints, a portion of which is shown in 
the illustration, extends about the entire room. On one 
side are the children's pictures taken when they were little, 
and these are a never-ending source of pleasure to the girl 
who occupies the dainty apartment. On another side are 
the Western views, with the children on their burros and 
having a good time generally. The Southern prints form 

43 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the frieze for another side, and the European views make a 
beautiful fireplace which looks exactly like a tiled one 
(Fig. 4). 

The place was first painted a delicate buff, then the blue- 
prints were pasted on in squares to look like tiling, and a 
fine line of deep blue paint was drawn around each one for 
a frame. This suggestion of a frame also makes the pict- 
ures stand out in bas-relief and accentuates the tile idea. 




Fig. 4 

To make the frieze, three rows of blue-prints were ar- 
ranged around the room as follows : In order to insure 
evenness, the distances were carefully marked with chalk, 

44 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

which was afterward erased. Then the worker commenced 
in the corner with a blue-print, which was pasted securely 
in position with good library paste. A space the same 
width as the picture was left, and then another print was 
pasted on, and so on around the room. 

For the second row of prints, instead of commencing in 
the corner, directly under the first print, that space was 
left bare, and the photo was pasted in the second space, 
underneath the wall spot above. The third time around 
the print came underneath the first one, with a space the 
depth of the picture between. This alternate space and 
blue-print gives a very pretty effect against the cream back- 
ground. 

Narrow blue ribbon was used as a frame crosswise and 
lengthwise, and a dainty fleur-de-lis brad was used at each 
comer for fastening. In order to insert the brad but once, 
two bolts of ribbon should be started at the same time, 
crosswise and lengthwise, inserting the brad at the proper 
place. The ribbon looks particularly dainty against the 
blue-print, and gives character to the arrangement. 

A Musical Frieze 

Another clever girl, whose exquisite taste exceeded 
her moderate means, was especially desirous of having an 
attractive music-room. Fifty dollars was the sum set 
apart for this purpose, and at first it seemed impossible to 
accomplish much with such limited capital. At length she 
thought of an effective decorative scheme with photo- 
graphs, and proceeded to carry out her ideas (Fig. 5). 
4 45 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig. 5 



The side walls of the room were hung with a pale-green 
satin-striped paper, and the upper part w^as kalsomined, on 
cartridge paper, a chocolate brown. Photographs of musical 
subjects were then pasted on this brown background, after 

46 



PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS 

which they were carefully tinted in sepia tones by the 
decorator to harmonize. 

Plaster frames were then made around the pictures, and 
these were connected with flying ribbons and flower gar- 
lands, made of the plaster also, in relief- work. This decora- 
tive scheme was carried out in nearly as dark a shade as 
the background (Fig. 6). 

The effect was more artistic and satisfactory than could 
be shown in a photograph, which loses much in values. Some 
idea can be obtained, however, from the two illustrations 
shown herewith, one of which gives a portion of the frieze 
over a doon\^ay, and the other of a comer of the music-room. 

The subjects chosen were the most popular musical ones 




Fig. 6 



— Bume -Jones' Golden Stairs, Aurora, Psyche, The Choir 
Boys, Sonata and Elegy, A Lesson in Arcadia, Reynolds' 
An^els^ Cupid's Minuet, and many other favorites, These 

47 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



were all oblong pictures, alternated with panel pictures 
of the Angelico angels with their drums, cymbals, and 
trumpets. 

Nothing could be more attractive for a Japanese den 
than an arrangement of tinted photographs against a red 
cartridge-paper background. The blues, greens, and browns 
of the photographs are really exquisite against the plain 
red. 

The Nursery 

As the nursery is one of the most important rooms in 
the house, too much care cannot be expended on its arrange- 
ment. As the child's senses are first educated and his 
tastes are first cultivated in his nursery days, his surround- 
ings should be considered of great importance. 

The decoration of the walls should be given particular 
attention, and this is a good work for the older sister. 
Nothing is more attractive or educational for the purpose 
than photographs used as a frieze on a plain background, 
low enough for the children to see them. 

The pictures should, of course, be selected with thought 
and care from the masters and the artists who have spent 
their lives in perfecting their ability to paint for little folks. 
Among these are the various Madonnas suitable for chil- 
dren, many animal subjects, and miscellaneous pictures that 
are pleasing to a child. 



Chapter V 

HOME-MADE FIRE-SCREENS 

THERE is no prettier household ornament, nor is there 
any more serviceable article of household furniture, 
than a well-made fire-screen. 

Screens of every variety are to be found in the shops, and 
at prices ranging from a few dollars for the simple designs, 
to many hundreds for others more elaborate. 

Young folk who have leisure can as well make as pur- 
chase them, and often the results of home work compare 
most favorably with the best specimens of shop manufact- 
ure. The foundation framework is easily made by a boy 
who has any skill in carpentering, and the girls can have 
that part of the task done for them at a tri- 
fling expense. The most useful screen is made 
in three panels, each four feet and a half high 
by one and a half wide. The frames should be 
made of white pine, thoroughly seasoned, to 
avoid warping, mitred at the comers, and 
braced in the middle, as shown in Fig. i. 
Strips of inch pine, two inches wide, will secure 
the proper lightness and strength. 

49 



Fig.t 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



The Frames 

The frames are to be covered with brown sheeting or 
unbleached muslin, the coarser the better, which is to be 
stretched as tight as possible, and held by very small 
tacks driven in the edges, not on the faces of the frames. 
Having done this, carefully cut away all the surplus ma- 
terial; then prepare a sizing of thin flour paste, and with 
it wet thoroughly every portion of the muslin. In stretch- 
ing, the cloth will pull unequally, and along the tacked 
edges there will be slight unevennesses, which can be 
smoothed down while wet, and which will be held in place 
as the paste dries. The drying takes but a little time, and 
when it is accomplished there will result a working surface 
as tight as a drum-head. 

The Covering 

In the paper covering individual taste may be exercised 
without limit, and the beautiful varieties of paper-hangings 
render it almost impossible to make a poor selection. The 
little ones are most interested in the nursery screen. Its 
bright colors and quaint figures are an unending delight to 
them, and many an hour is spent in studying their curious 
antics. ' 

The background of this screen should be a very dark — al- 
most black — cheap wall-paper of very indefinite pattern, 
slightly flecked with gilt. In cutting the paper for the front 
of a panel an inch and a half margin on all sides should be 
allowed, while the back piece is to be the exact size of the 

so 



HOME-MADE FIRE-SCREENS 

frame. The paste should contain a little starch, be free from 
lumps, and not thick. It is to be applied as evenly as pos- 
sible, and care is needed to see that every part of the paper 
is covered by it. Place the paper upon the frame, begin- 
ning at the top, and allowing the surplus inch margin to 
lap over. Put a piece of wrapping-paper under the hand, 
and slowly smooth the pasted part for about six inches 
down from the upper edge, thus pressing out all air bub- 
bles and wrinkles. When this is successfully done, continue 
the same process, always smoothing downward. 

Should any creases or other irregularities fail to disappear 
under the slow rubbing, take the paper by the two lower 
comers and lift it from the muslin until past the rough- 
ness, and then press again. In this way you are certain to 
remove the imperfection, and get a perfectly plain surface. 
The margin is next to be pasted, and will lap perhaps a 
quarter of an inch on the back. This will, however, be 
covered by the paper for the back of the panel, which is to 
be applied in the same way as the front piece. 

The Decoration 

The really hard part of the work is now over, and the 
most interesting stage at hand. Get from a book or toy 
store several illustrated books of nursery rhymes and chil- 
dren's stories. Cut out every figure in the book, large and 
small alike. Select three of the largest and handsomest 
for the centrepieces, and about these arrange the others 
as fancy suggests, without regarding the stories which they 
illustrate, The result will be charming, and daily admired, 

51 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



The back may be ornamented in like manner or left plain. 
Four brass hinges fastening the frame together, a line of 
brass-headed nails all around the edges, both for the pro- 
tection of the paper and as a finish, two small brass handles 
on the top of the outer panels to lift by and avoid soiling, 
will complete one of the prettiest decorations of the house. 

The second attempt may be made with a background of 
cardinal-red felt paper, on which paste cuttings from old 
Harper's Magazines, one panel given up to flowers, one to 
birds, and one to animals. 

Our last venture is the simplest of all in its manufacture, 
but is very effective. It is made of small-figured wall-paper, 
with a great deal of gilt in the design. On this are mounted 
three Japanese panels, such as are to bo found on those 
hanging banners with which our Celestial friends love to 
deck their walls. All three are black, with sprays of flow- 
ers and birds painted upon them in the brightest colors, 
and the effect of the gold, the black, and the gorgeous reds 
and delicate blues in combination is lovely. 

Of course there are as many methods and patterns in 
making screens as there are minds to design and hands to 
do the work. The plan suggested above is simple, and has 
proved successful. 



Chapter VI 

ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 

THE love of adornment, both of one's self and of the 
house, has led to many sins, not the least of which is 
the bric-a-brac habit. The instinct is inherent, from the 
love of the savage for his war-paint and feathers to that of 
the woman who indulges in "drapes" and Dresden shep- 
herdesses in a vain effort to fulfil its demands. At its best, 
cultivated, restrained, and trained in the ''tact of omission," 
it becomes a true appreciation of the beautiful, and makes 
our homes an expression of the best that is in us, both 
artistically and practically. 

Bric-a-brac comes under even greater restrictions and 
more stringent artistic rules than furniture, simply because 
it belongs to that list of household furnishings which, if 
need be, we can do without to a large extent. Chairs and 
tables we must have, but the only excuse for existence which 
bric-a-brac may claim is that of true beauty or, preferably, 
usefulness combined with beauty. 

Lamps and Shades 

The arts and crafts movement is assisting materially in 
making the necessary articles beautiful — our lamps and 

53 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



candlesticks, our clocks, our fire-irons, even the gas and 
electric-light fixtures formerly so much of an eyesore. In- 
stead of the hand-painted porcelain bowls or the elaborate 
gilt and onyx standards of the lamps of a few years ago, 
and of to-day as well if we yield to the doubtful attractions 
of the department stores, we have bowls of hand- wrought 
copper and brass, and pottery in rich tones and glazes, 
either Japanese or some of the products of the American 
potter's art. Some of the more expensive lamps, although 
not excessively so, have a bowl of Damascus finely wrought 
brass with shades either of opalescent glass in harmonious 
tones (the ambers and greens are the most artistic), or of 
cut brass interlined with a color. Still more expensive, 
but extremely artistic, are those in green bronze. For a 
moderate price those of Benares brass or of Japanese or 
American pottery are the most practical (Fig. i). Stand- 
ards in dull green with an opaque green shade are very satis- 
factory. Others in the soft grays and blues of the Copen- 
hagen ware, the equally soft greens and browns of the 
Bigot, or the combined greens and blues of the Japanese, 
are very artistic, especially when combined with the shades 
of opalescent glass, either plain or mosaic. The Japanese 
shades of bamboo and paper are extremely effective if they 
are good, but the blatant American edition of these shades 
is inexpressible in its ugliness. 

The opalescent glass shades come either in the simple 
shaded glass, or in designs adapted from the forms and 
colors of nature. Those in mosaic also come in the richly 
blended flower tones. These flower forms and colors are 
also adapted to the small globes for electric lights and for 

54 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 




Fig.t 



gas. Some never-to-be-forgotten sconces of green bronze 
have small globes of deep burnt orange modelled upon the 
graceful lines of the tulip. The fleur-de-lis, with its rich 
purples and greens, makes a wonderfully beautiful motive 
for a mosaic shade. 

55 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Clocks and Vases 

The old Willard clocks, the tall Colonial clocks of our 
grandfathers, the mahogany mantel clocks in simple, 
straight lines, and the modern clocks modelled upon these, 
all telling the time of day in a simple, straightforward way, 
are always beautiful because of their simplicity. Elaborate 
creations in gilt, bronze, and decorated porcelain, hardl^^ 
expected to tell the truth, certainly not so that the passer-by 
may read it, are an example of the worst phase of the bric-a- 
brac fever. 

The jardiniere with its fern, palm, ivy, or flowering plant, 
doing far more to make a room beautiful than many pieces 
of useless bric-a-brac, must be subordinate in color to the 
green of the plant, and must harmonize with it. Dull-green 
pottery answers both of these requirements; so also do 
the misty light greens, the browns, and the combined 
blues, greens, and grays of Japan. Russia supplies 
us with some fascinating jars in copper and brass, and 
Flanders with some in repousse. An oval Oriental jar- 
diniere in plain brass with small claw feet is charming for 
a fern or English ivy. Fern-dishes of Benares and Damas- 
cus brass, as well as those of Bigot, Copenhagen, and 
Grueby, are a great improvement upon those of the ordi- 
nary porcelain. / 

Vases offer the greatest possibilities for the rich colors 
and graceful lines of pottery, as well as the more delicate 
charms of glass. Few can enjoy the possession of a bit of 
old Sevres or of rare pieces of Chinese porcelain or majolica 
(Fig. 2). Those are not for a moderate purse, and, unfortu- 

56 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



nately, it was not until recently that an3rthing that could 
be called truly artistic could be found to take their places. 
Now, although the mass of gold rococo, gayly painted scenes 
from Watteau, and naturalistic flower designs still remain 




Fig. 2 



to tempt the unwary, the tastes of the more artistic can 
be richly satisfied with the masterpieces in color and form 
of the potter's wheel. A rich brown jar of Bigot or Rook- 
wood filled with a few branches of autumn leaves, a dull- 
green Grueby vase containing a mass of feathery goldenrod, 
a Japanese bowl in tender green filled with sprays of apple 
blossom — any one is enough in itself to give a room its 
one needed touch of character, color, and decoration. Jugs, 
jars, bowls, vases, the supply is unlimited. No room need 

57 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



lack the bit of harmonious color demanded by its color 
scheme. 

Pottery 

Modern pottery is not all artistic, either Japanese or 
American. Both the Japanese and Chinese have caught 
the commercial American spirit, and are trying to supply 
the market with poorly made articles at cheap rates. The 
fact that it is Japanese is often enough to satisfy the buyer, 
and the importers have not been slow in comprehending 
this fact. The colors are crude, the shapes awkward, and 
the workmanship poor. The more artistic and original the 
shapes from which the copies are taken, the more misshapen 
and grotesque are the results. Oriental art and Tart 
nouveau, what horrors are enacted in these names! L'art 
nouveau is capable of extremes, grotesque and decidedly 
questionable as to their claims to beauty, but Tart nouveau 
in the hands of American commercialism would fail to 
recognize itself. 

Exquisite glass vases are modelled upon graceful flower 
forms. Some beautiful pieces are blown into delicate silver 
traceries. Others have the silver inlaid. These pieces 
are apt to be quite expensive, because very few artists have 
made successful efforts in that direction. The plain green 
glass vases, and even many plain white ones, come in 
simple, graceful lines, perfectly adapted for holding flowers 
and showing the stems and foliage in an effect which can- 
not be equalled by any of the more elaborate opaque glasses 

(Fig- 3)- 
In the 4ining-roora nothing is more beautiful for the 

58 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



plate-rail and sideboard than pieces of old china in blue 
and white and green and white. Most interesting color 
effects can be obtained with friezes of this kind. Com- 
bined with collections of pewter porringers and tankards, 




Fig. 3 

brass coffee- jugs and pitchers, the effect is extremely decora- 
tive if care is taken in the selection of the background color. 



Casts 

Other inexpensive but effective pieces of purely decora- 
tive bric-k-brac are plaster casts. If well made, exact re- 
productions, they are very satisfactory in soft ivory tints. 
There is a great difference in them, and the cheap, poorly 

59 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



made cast is worse than none. Casts of the Venus of Milo 
are seen in which she is looking to the right instead of the 
left, her arms replaced, and the graceful folds of her drapery 
entirely changed. Venus is always beautiful, and so is 
Nike, but there are innumerable other reproductions of 
the masterpieces in sculpture, both ancient and modern, 
which have not suffered at the hands of the cheaper 
workmen, and are therefore more interesting and indi- 
vidual. 

Smaller articles, such as desk-fittings, match-receivers, 
card-trays, etc., are all receiving the attention of the crafts- 
men. There are beautiful designs in green bronze, sug- 
gested by the pine cone and needles, and the equally decora- 
tive foliage of other trees. Japanese brass and bronze are 
very adaptable for these small necessities, and often ex- 
tremely artistic. 

The days of silk-tissue scarfs, delicate hand-painted cush- 
ions, and gauze bags of milkweed down have, fortunately, 
passed away. The few lingering specimens left behind will 
soon come to a natural end, thanks to their want of durabil- 
ity, but the day of pyrography and amateur photography, 
is at hand, and we are surrounded on all sides by specimens 
of these two ensnaring arts. Nothing can be said against 
either one, if the work is well and artistically done, although 
moderation and appropriateness in their use are as desir- 
able here as elsewhere. 

Nothing so completely ruins the effect of a few artistic 
pieces of bric-a-brac as a heterogeneous collection of un- 
framed photographs, whether they are attempts at land- 
scape effects or family portraits. 

60 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



Old Brasses 

The American brasses are both English and Dutch in 
design, but are known in general as Colonial. The old set- 
tlers put a very high valuation upon their brass pots and 
pans. Even the Indians wished to have their brass kettles 
buried with them. The Dutch kitchen of old Colonial days, 
with rows of shining kettles hung upon the swinging crane, 
and the innumerable pans arranged in a gleaming line above, 
must have been a fascinating sight. 

Candlesticks 

These homelier articles are hardly fitted to take their places 
in our libraries and drawing-rooms, but the candlesticks and 
fire-dogs of all shapes and sizes we cherish tenderly. The 
brass itself varies greatly in both quality and color, but is usu- 
ally very good. The shapes are many, with the appropriate 
names given them largely by collectors of recent years, but 
possibly often by the settlers themselves. We have ''the 
parlor," 'Hhe cottage," "the Greek urn," ''the eight-sided," 
"the melon," and the favorite "Colonial," so named be- 
cause it is often seen in pictures representing notable his- 
torical events of Revolutionary days. A marked charac- 
teristic of these candlesticks is the arrangement at the 
bottom for pushing up the candle as fast as it was 
used, so that the last precious bit of tallow, prepared with 
so much pains and labor, might not be wasted. In others 
the stick itself can be raised or lowered to accommodate the 
reader, a need which we can easily appreciate in consid- 
5 6i 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



eration of the necessary dimness of the Hght even at its 
best. 

One interesting specimen has a hook attached to one side 
so that it may be hung on one of the slats in the back of the 
reader's chair, or upon a hook in the wall to accommodate 
the housewife in her duties. The bedroom candlesticks, 




Fig. 4 



supposedly pure Dutch, with the large saucer and low shaft, 
usually have a small knob in the stick to push up the 
candle, and are accompanied by snuffers and tray, often 
elaborately chased (Fig. 4). The small, conical extinguisher 
is sometimes, though not always, present. Many of those 
of the pure Dutch type have a long, flat handle instead of 
the small, round handle so often seen. A little later than 
the candlestick appeared the first sperm-oil lamps, some of 
them shaped very much like the bedroom candlesticks, but 
with a cylinder at the top for the oil, and two small tubes 
from which coarse wicks protrude. These lamps are very 
rare, as are the Betty lamps, shallow receptacles shaped 
very much like the antique Roman lamps, two or three 

62 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



inches in diameter, and an inch in depth, either rectangular, 
triangular, or oval in shape. These were supplied with a 
chain or hook, so that they too could be hung on the back 
of a chair or on the wall. The wick hung from the nose. 
The Phoebe lamps were similar, but often with two noses. 
These are very quaint, but very difficult to find. 



Fenders and Fire-Sets 

The brass fire-dogs used in the "best room" (those in the 
kitchen were generally of iron) were the pride and delight 
of the housewife. There were often two pairs in the same 
fireplace, one tall pair in front and the other lower pair in 
the rear, called ' ' the creepers. " The best-known design was 




the large ball, one variety of which is known as the New 
Hampshire. The Queen Anne is shaped like a double acorn 
(^ig- S)- The *' steeple" pattern explains itself, and so 

6$ 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



does the ''urn." The simplest pattern is that which is 
turned from the base up, increasing in circumference at the 
top until it resembles the globe design. 

With the andirons come the fire-sets — shovel, poker, and 
tongs, sometimes a brush — repeating the design of the 
andirons. The holders of the fire-sets and the fenders are 
either of a solid piece of sheet brass cut in beautiful floral 
or geometrical designs, and often standing quite high, or of 
turned pieces surmounted by knobs, also corresponding in 
design with the andirons. Stands for fire-sets are seen in 
which the different pieces are hung on hooks attached to 
the circular arms of the stand. 

Warming-Pans and Chafing-Dishes 

Among the interesting pieces which used to add to the 
shining array of disks about the kitchen fire are the warm- 
ing-pans with their long wooden handles and gleaming brass 
covers. These were filled with hot coals and rubbed quickly 
between the sheets on a cold night. Chafing-dishes of 
brass were used to keep food hot upon the table just as 
to-day. There are fascinating old cut-brass lanterns and 
foot-warmers, and the daughter of a sea-captain cherishes 
a large brass speaking-trumpet beautifully chased. A 
brass eagle taken from the tall cap of an officer in the War 
of 1812 is another heirloom. 

Knockers and Latches 

Brass knockers and latches are often very elaborate and 
very beautiful. All the ornament of the old Colonial houses 

64 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



was concentrated on and around the doors. The doorways 
were often beautifully carved, and the lines extremely 
graceful or severely classical in motive. The gleaming 
brass knocker was the crowning touch. The knockers in 
the shape of a ring are supposed to have been used origi- 
nally simply to draw the door to. One unique and ex- 
tremely beautiful design consists of a spread eagle on the 
knocker itself, falling upon an exquisitely wrought acanthus 
leaf. 

Dutch Brasses 

The traveller in Holland is surrounded by the gleaming 
of brass, its lustre always at its height through the tireless 
efforts of the Dutch housewife. The dog-cart with its bur- 
den of shining milk-cans is to be seen on all sides. The 
peasant woman seated beneath her white umbrella in the 
market-place has her shining coffee or tea pot by her side. 
Kettles, tea- jugs, tankards, coffee-pots, chafing-dishes, and 
candlesticks, sometimes elaborately chased, are hand- 
wrought and often modelled after those seen in the paint- 
ings of Van Eyck and Memling. The distinguishing Dutch 
shape is "dumpy" (Fig. 6). 

Russian Brasses 

Russian brasses are possibly the heaviest and finest in 
quality and color. One may find them in the queer little 
Russian shops in the lower part of New York and Boston. 
The growing interest in brasses has encouraged their im- 
portation, and if one has patience to barter, many artistic 

65 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



treasures may be obtained at very reasonable prices. The 
most characteristic piece is the samovar (Fig. 7). These 
are treasured very highly by those who are fortunate enough 
to possess them. They are found in innumerable shapes 
and sizes, a witness to the tea-drinking habits of the Rus- 
sians. Every Russian peasant who is prosperous enough 




Fig.? 



to enjoy the luxury of tea has his samovar. At all inns 
each visitor is supplied with one. They invariably accom- 
pany the traveller and the picnicker, and even the officers 
starting out upon a campaign find room for a small one in 
their baggage. Samovar signifies *' self-boiler." It is made 
of brass, lined with tin, and with a tube in the centre in 
which the hot cinders of charcoal are placed after having 
been ignited. Often a pipe connects it with the chimney, and 
two friends will sit for hours drinking the boiling-hot weak tea. 

66 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



The Russian candlesticks are very beautiful and of differ- 
ent shapes. Two characteristics are their weight (they are 
of solid brass) and the construction. A screw of solid brass 
unites the shaft and the base, so that the two can be sepa- 
rated, thus facilitating cleaning. We have them in all sizes 
from the tiny sealing-wax sticks to the beautiful church 
candelabra and single sticks four or more feet high. 

Other pieces peculiar to the Russians are the cups called 
*'bratini," from ''brat" (brother), or, as we know them, 
loving-cups, having two handles; the bowls or ladles termed 
"koosh," and the small cups with one fiat handle for strong 
liquors. Tall beakers and pitchers expand at the lip and 
slope gracefully down, to expand again at the base. Wine- 
jugs have the characteristic bulbous base, the form seen in 
the cupolas of churches, the tall, slender nose, and the 
graceful handle. This same bulbous form is seen in jar- 
dinieres perched upon slender claw feet, in tankards, chalices, 
and bowls. These forms are found in pure brass, some- 
times elaborately chased and in repousse, on the rich man's 
table, but the prosperous or even poor peasant has the 
same shapes in red copper with bands, bindings, and handles 
of brass. Those supposed to be two or even three hundred 
years old are extremely heavy, and were used for both 
cooking and serving. Their graceful lines and rich copper 
tints endear them to us, no matter how humble their origin. 

Damascus Work 

The southern countries have all felt the influence of the 
Damascus art-workers. It is in and around Damascus that 

67 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the collectors will find the richest store of both old and new 
brasses. The business still thrives. Hundreds of trays, 
aiguieres, and various other articles are sent all over Europe 
and to this country. These brasses are beaten, hammered, 
cut in low and high relief, and cut through. The character- 
istic Damascus brass is heavy and dark in color. The figures 
are cut in low relief, and the lines filled up either with a 
species of black enamel called ''niello" or with other metal, 
either silver or gold. The process is called damascening. 
It was a favorite method of decorating metals during the 
Middle Ages throughout Persia, Syria, and some European 
countries. The designs are very fine, either Arabian leaf 
forms, mythological figures, or inscriptions. The name of 
the owner and the date were often engraved, thus adding 
greatly to the value of the old pieces. The Benares ware is 
of the yellow brass and hammered into more flowing de- 
signs than the Damascus ware, although a little cruder. 
The chief difference between old and new articles is that the 
former are made of thicker brass, and the patterns quainter 
and more carefully executed. Many of these brasses are 
enamelled in brilliant colors. That which we find in this 
country is known as the Moradabad ware and cloisonne. 
The older enamels were much softer and richer in color 
than those used now. Certain colors have entirely disap- 
peared. Large platters from Damascus have wrought upon 
them Old Testament scriptural subjects — the story of 
Adam and Eve and the transmigration of souls. These 
must be the work of the Jews. Oval platters, round and 
oval trays and plaques, are often found. Often the trays 
are mounted on small feet and decorated with archaic fig- 

68 



ART IN THE HOUSEHOLD 



ures of silver hammered into the brass. The old enamelled 
ones are supposed to have originally come from Constanti- 
nople. These are very rare. There are square trays with 
perforated edges and conventionalized designs or figures 
of Arabs on horseback, supposed to come from Tunis. The 
trays called Algerine are always beaten out on thin brass, 
but their color is peculiarly golden. Persian trays are 
covered with numerous small figures, often representing a 
whole drama. 

There is a countless variety of Damascus lamps, mostly 
all perforated, all equally graceful and fascinating. There 
is the thistle shape, peculiarly Arabian; the beehive, made 
especially by the Jews ; the fiat, expanding lamp ; and the 
Arabian country lamp which alone is tall and rather awk- 
ward. This last is intended to stand on the floor in the 
midst of a group of story -telling Arabs. Many of the hang- 
ing-lamps give the dim religious light appropriate to the 
synagogue, for which they were originally intended. 



Part II 
ARTS AND CRAFTS 



Chapter VII 

SIMPLE CARPENTRY 

WHILE carpentry is not regarded as an accomplish- 
ment distinctively feminine, there is really no reason 
why a girl should not learn to drive a nail true and saw a 
straight line. Once the knack of using hammer, saw, and 
plane is acquired, it is surprising how much can be done, 
especially in the line of what may be called *' shoe-box" 
carpentry. At the same time it is worth considering that 
the *' shoe-box" system is a very limited one, and that a 
little intelligent study and practice will open for us a far 
wider and much more interesting field. The essential science 
of carpentry is really summed up in the making of a good 
box with real joints. Once you have succeeded in this 
further progress is easy. 

Tools 

Perhaps the principal reason why some girls make a sad 
mess of it when they attempt the art of woodworking is 
that they seldom possess the proper tools. And without 
good tools it is impossible to do satisfactory work in any 
department of craftsmanship. Certainly if carpentry is 
attempted at all, one should secure the proper implements, 
and be careful to keep them in good order. 

73 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Good tools may be purchased at nearly every hardware 
shop or general store throughout the country. For ordi- 
nary work you will require a good rip and cross-cut saw, 
with twenty and twenty-four inch blades, respectively; 
a claw-hammer, and a smaller one; a wooden mallet for 
chisels, and to knock together the lap joints of wood; a 
smoothing plane; a compass-saw; a brace and several 
sizes of bitts, ranging from a quarter to one inch in diam- 
eter; a draw-knife; a square; awls; pliers; a rule; sev- 
eral firmer-chisels ; a mitre-box ; and a screw-driver. There 
are many other useful tools, but they may be added as they 
are required. 

The handling of tools is a difficult matter to explain on 
paper; the only really satisfactory plan is to watch a car- 
penter at work, and see how he does things. The proper 
use of even such simple tools as hammer and saw is quite 
another thing from the ordinary slap-dash method evolved, 
as we may say, under the light of nature. 

Joints 

The making of simple joints lies at the bottom of all real 
carpentry; indeed, without good joiner- work there is no 
such thing as carpentry at all. There are a great variety 
of joints employed in carpentry, but many of them are too 
complicated for the young carpenter to make, and the 
simple forms will answer every reasonable requirement. 

The easiest joint to make is the straight, or box, joint. 
It is constructed by butting the end of one board against 
the edge of another and nailing, or screwing, them fast. 

74 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 




ri&- 7 



Fig. I shows a lap-joint made by cutting away a portion 
of the wood on opposite sides of the ends which are to be 
joined. When fastened the wood will appear as a continu- 
ous piece. For comers and angles, where a mitre-box is 
not available, the lap-joint is a very good substitute, and 

75 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



for many uses it is stronger than the mitred-joint, and, 
therefore, to be preferred. 

Fig. 2 is another form of lap-joint, where the end of a 
strip is embedded in the surface of a stout piece of wood. 
This joint will be found useful in furniture work, and also 
for picture-frame construction. 

Fig. 3 is a bevelled lap-joint, and is used for timbers and 
posts, particularly under conditions where the joint can be 
reinforced by another piece of wood at one or two sides. 

Fig. 4 is the mitred-joint. In narrow wood it is usually 
cut in a mitre-box with a stiff back saw to insure accuracy 
in the angles. The mitre-joint is employed for picture- 
frames, screens, mouldings, and all sorts of angle-joints. 

Fig. 5 A is a rabbet. It is cut on the edges of wood, 
and another similarly shaped piece fits into it. It is also 
useful where wood laps over some other material, such as 
glass or metal. The inner moulding of picture-frames is 
always provided with a rabbet, behind which the edge of 
the glass, picture, and backing-boards will fit. 

Fig. 5 B is a rabbet-joint made with a rabbet and groove. 
It is a good one to employ for box comers, and where the 
edges of two pieces of wood come together. 

A Low Bench 

Small benches are useful to work upon when sawing, 
nailing, and matching boards ; and they are handy for many 
purposes about the house. The low bench shown in Fig. 
6 is fifteen inches high and twelve inches wide, and the 
top is twenty-two inches long. The foot-pieces are cut as 

76 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



shown in Fig. 7, and at the upper end at each side a piece 
is cut out to let in the side-aprons. The aprons are three 
inches wide and seven-eighths of an inch thick; they are 
held to the foot-pieces with glue and screws. In the top a 
finger-hole is cut so that the bench may be quickly picked 
up and the more easily handled. 

A Step-Bench 

A step-bench will be found useful for various purposes. 
It does not take up so much room as a step-ladder and affords 
a more solid footing. The bench shown in Fig. 8 is thirty 
inches high, fifteen inches wide, and eighteen inches deep. 
The uprights that support the sides are five inches wide; 
the treads of the first and second steps are six inches wide, 
and that of the top step eight inches wide. The wood is 
seven-eighths of an inch thick, planed on both sides, and all 
the unions are made with screws. The cross-brace at the 
back and near the bottom is set into laps cut in the edges 
of the upright supports, and to prevent the support and side- 
pieces from spreading, stanchion-bars may be screwed 
fast to the sides, under the first tread, and to the foot of 
the uprights. 

Two or three coats of paint will finish these benches and 
make them fit for use about the house. 

A Shoe-Box 

A shoe-box and seat (Fig. 9) is a useful piece of furniture 
in any bedroom. Two boxes, purchased at a grocery store, 
6 77 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



may be made to serve the purpose, but for a really neat 
and workman-like job the frame should be constructed of 
boards three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch in thick- 
ness. A good size for the shoe receptacle is twenty-four 



Fig. 9 




Fig. 9 A 

inches high, fifteen inches deep, and sixteen inches wide. 
The seat-box should be thirty inches long, and fifteen inches 
high and deep. 

These boxes are to be attached to each other with stout 
screws, and a back the length of the two boxes, and having 
a rounded comer is to be securely fastened to the rear of 
each box, as shown in Fig. 9 A. In the shoe-box two shelves 
are screwed fast, and to the lower box a cover should be 
arranged on hinges so that it may be raised from the front. 

78 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



The back and seat and also the top of the shoe-box should 
be covered with denim, under which a padding of hair or 
cotton may be placed. The denim should be caught down 
with carriage-buttons and string, the latter being passed 
through holes made in the wood and tied at the underside. 
Around the front and sides a flounce of cretonne or denim 
may be gathered, and hung from the top edge of the box 
and seat. If finished with gimp and brass-headed tacks it 
will present a good appearance. Where the drop-curtain 
at the edge of the shoe-box meets the seat the fabric is to 
be divided, in order that it may be drawn to one side when 
taking out or replacing shoes. 

A coat of shellac, or paint, will cover such parts of the 
woodwork as are not hidden by the upholstery. Fig. 9 
shows the finished article of furniture. 



An Easel 

Girls who have a talent for drawing and painting would 
undoubtedly like to have an easel on which to work, and a 
good strong one may be made, at moderate cost, in the 
following manner (Fig. 10) : 

Obtain four pieces of clear white pine six feet long, two 
and a half inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch in 
thickness. These should be planed on all sides. Two of 
the sticks should be tapered off at one end, and slightly 
bevelled at the other. Nine inches from the top and 
twelve inches up from the bottom laps are to be cut in the 
sticks at the back, as shown in Fig. it. Into these the 
ends of cross-pieces will fit. If the concealed lap is too both- 

79 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ersome to make, it can be cut clear across the sticks, as 

shown in Fig. 12. Glue and screws will make a strong joint. 

The remaining long stick is the back support, or leg, and 

is to be hinged to the upper cross-piece. With this leg the 



Fig. it 




Fig. 12 



Fig. 10 

easel may be pitched at any angle, and to prevent it from 
going back too far a guide-chain should be attached to the 
leg, and the ends secured to the back of each upright with 
staples. Holes are bored along the uprights at even dis- 
tances apart, and two wooden pegs are cut to fit snugly in 
the holes, and so hold a drawing-board or canvas-stretcher. 



Hanging Book-Shelves 

In a room where space cannot be given up to a standing 
bookcase, it may be possible to arrange a set of shelves to 

80 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



form a book-rack that will hang against the wall. The 
construction of the hanging shelves shown in Fig. 13 is 
very simple, and will require but a few boards, two wall- 
strips, and a few yards of strong rope. 

For the shelves, obtain five pine boards eight inches wide, 
seven-eighths of an inch thick, and from three to four feet 
long; also two pine strips three inches wide, an inch thick, 
and four feet long. In the rear edge of each board, at the 
ends, cut notches three inches long and an inch wide, as 
shown in Fig. 13 A, into which the wall strips will fit. Round 




Fig. t3A 



off the top of each wall-strip and screw them fast to the 
notched edges of the shelves, first boring gimlet holes in 
both strips and shelves to prevent splitting of the wood. 

81 



handy-book: for girls 



Half-inch holes at the top of each wall-strip will admit 
the suspension rope, which is of manila, and half an inch in 
diameter. Knot one end of the rope and pass it up through 
holes made at the outer comers of each shelf, and fkially 
through the hole at the top of the wall-strips, and cut it off 
three inches back of the hole. With a gouge-chisel a groove 
should be made at the back of the wall-strip for an inch or 
two below the hole, so that the rope end may be carried 
down and ravelled out. It can then be glued and held fast 
to the wood with staples. Where the rope passes through 
the hole in each shelf, drive several long steel-wire nails into 
the edge and end of the board, allowing the nails to pass 
through the rope and into the wood. 

Paint or varnish the woodwork, and securely anchor the 
wall-plates with stout screws driven into the frame timbers, 
through the lath and plaster of the wall. 

A Plant-Box 

For growing plants and flowers in windows or around a 
piazza rail, the plant-box shown in Fig. 14 will be found 
useful. One or more boxes may be made from pine boards 
an inch thick and eight inches wide. The boxes should be 
six inches deep, outside measure, and they may be as 
long as desired to fill the window or the spaces between the 
piazza posts. 

Straight or box joints are made at the corners and fast- 
ened with screws. The inside of the boxes should be treated 
to several successive coats of asphaltum varnish to render 
them water-proof. Several small holes must be bored in the 

82 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



bottom of each box to drain off surplus moisture, and the 
boxes and supports may be painted a color to match the 
trimmings of the house. 

To anchor the boxes, screw a batten to the balustrade, on 
which the inner edge of the box may rest. The outer edge 



pisi 




is supported by means of braces attached firmly to the 
underside of the box and to the piazza floor, as shown in 
the illustration. Two small brackets attached to the under- 
side of the box and to the batten will hold the box in place 
and prevent it from slipping off the top of the batten. 



A Photograph-Box 

There are so many amateur photographers at large in 
the country that some suitable receptacle for their work 
is a matter of no little importance. A box made to hold a 
particular size of photograph will prove very acceptable as 
a present, and a very serviceable possession for a girl to 
make for her own use. Fig. 15 shows a very convenient 

83 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



form of box, and one that, considering the shape that is 
used, is not at all difficult to construct, because of a device 
of construction that will be explained. Four-by-five-inch 
photos are most attractive when pasted upon five and one- 
half by six and one-half inch mounts. For such mounts, 
then, the box should be six inches high and seven inches 




Fiff. t5 




Fig. H 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



from front to rear. Make the width eight inches. The 
cover and front are made in the shape shown for ease in 
taking out the individual photographs. This form is very 
easy to make. Select wood three-eighths of an inch thick, 
and make a solid box of the dimensions given, nailing top, 
sides, ends, and bottom securely in place. Now mark two 
sides and the front with a lead-pencil according to the 
dotted line in Fig. i6, then saw the top off on this line, 
using a fine saw, and cutting true to the line. Saw in from 
the front to the point where the line turns, then from the 
rear to the same. If the edges are sawed evenly, a little 
smoothing with sand -paper will make them fit nicely. 
All that then remains is to put on the hinges and a 
catch. 

In making a box of any kind it is well to bear in mind 
that the front and back should lap over the ends, while top 
and bottom may lap over front, back, and ends. In a 
nicely finished box, however, it is well to have the front 
and back lap over the top, bottom, and ends, while the 
top and bottom lap over the ends. This gives a front with- 
out a sign of a joint. 

An Improved Ltinch-Box 

Here is something that is easily made, and that will be 
of service to the whole family, especially if the family be 
of the picnic-going sort (Fig. 17). This box has a com- 
partment at one end into which a zinc or galvanized iron 
"tank" is set. This little rectangular "tank" can be made 
by any tinsmith just to fit the end of the box. Fit a cross 

85 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



partition of wood up closely to it, leaving the remainder of 
the box for the eatables. In the tank are to be placed the 
bottles of coffee, milk, or shrub, the space about them being 
filled with cracked ice. This ensures cool drink when 




lunch-time comes — a refreshment that comparatively few 
picnic lunches can boast. Across the remaining space, at 
the point shown by the dotted line, fit a slat shelf to rest 
upon side cleats. The lighter and more fragile articles of 
the lunch can be placed on the shelf or tray, where they 
will not be crushed or jammed by the heavier articles, that 
can thus be placed below them. 

The box itself can be secured ready-made at a grocer's. 
Many of the smaller grocery boxes are made of nice wood, 
with excellently fitted comers (often "dove-tailed"). 
Spices and other articles come in such boxes, and one can 
secure just the size wanted. 

86 



SIMPLE CARPENTRY 



The handles are made from two flat barrel-hoops, smooth- 
ed with knife and sand-paper. Soak the hoops in water, 
then bend them into the shape desired, and tie them in 
that position for a few days. Then fasten to the box with 
round-headed screws. 



Chapter VIII 

WOOD-CARVING 

A KNOWLEDGE of drawing and modelling will be 
most helpful to the young carver, as then the out- 
line of ornament can be readily drawn, while to carve 
objects from wood the art of modelling form is most 
desirable. 

The most important feature of carving is the ability to 
sharpen and maintain the little tools, and when this is mas- 
tered, more than half the difficulty has been overcome. 
The dexterity to handle, with a firm and sure hand, the 
various chisels and gouges comes, of course, with practice 
only. 

It is better to begin with a soft wood. Pine, poplar, 
button-wood, cypress, or red woods are all of close grain 
and are easy to work. The harder woods, and those with 
a very open grain — such as chestnut, ash, and oak — should 
not be carved until the first principles are learned in the 
softer woods. 

Carving takes time, and it is not an art that can be quick- 
ly mastered, unless it be the chip-and-line variety. But 
this last can hardly be compared to the more beautiful re- 
lief-carving, with its well-modelled form and undercutting. 

88 



WOOD-CARVING 



Tools 

At the start a numerous assortment of tools will not be 
necessary, as the fiat work and chip-carving will naturally 
be the first department of the art to be taken up by the 
young carver. 

Six or eight chisels constitute a good set, and those shown 
from Fig. i to 6 will answer very well. Fig. i is a plain, 
flat chisel with a straight edge, as shown at A; it is com- 
monly called a firmer. Fig. 2 is also a fiat tool, but pos- 
sessing an angle or oblique edge; it is commonly called a 
skew-firmer. Figs. 3 and 4 are gouges. Fig. 5 is a V 
gouge, and Fig. 6 is a grounder. G, H, I, J, and K are 
gouges of various circles. L is an angle, or V, gouge. M, N, 
and O are gouges of various curves, and P, Q, and R are 
V gouges of various widths and angles. These last are used 
for furrows, chip-carving, and lining. 

A fiat felt or denim case should be made for the tools, so 
that they may be kept in good order. It is made of two 
strips of the goods, one wider than the other. Two edges 
are brought together and sewed, and lines of stitching form 
pockets for the chisels. The flap left by the wider strip of 
goods is folded over the chisel ends, and the pockets con- 
taining the tools may be rolled up and tied with tape-strings. 
When opened it will appear as shown in Fig. 7. The edges 
of chisels kept in this manner are insured against injury and 
rust, since the case protects them from atmospheric moisture. 

The stones needed for sharpening the tools will be an 
ordinary fiat oil-stone (preferably a fine - grained India 
stone), and two or three Turkey or Arkansas slips, four or 

89 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




J K L 



M 



N 



O 



Q R 



five inches long, having the shapes shown in Fig. 8. A, 
with the rounded edges, is for the gouge tools; B, with the 
sharp edges, is for V-shaped tools; and any of the flat chisels 
may be sharpened on the regular oil-stone, C. 

90 



^OOD-CARVINC 



In Fig. 9 end views of some slips are shown. A and B 
are round-edged slips for gouge-chisels ; C and D are angle 
stones for V chisels ; while small, flat tools may be finished 
on the sides. These stones are held in the hand, and lightly 
but firmly rubbed against both surfaces of a tool to give it 
the fine cutting edge. 

In Fig. ro an oil-stone in a case is shown. A boxed 
cover fits over it and protects it from grit and dust. This 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



is important, for often a little gritty dust will do more harm 
to the edge of a fine tool than the stone can do it good. 

The other tools necessary to complete the kit will be sev- 
eral clamps, similar to those shown in Figs, ii and 12, and 
a fret-saw (Fig. 13). If you happen to possess a bracket- 
machine or jig-saw the fret-saw will not be necessary. A 
glue-pot will also be found useful. 

The first essential to good, clean cutting is that the tools 
shall be absolutely sharp and in a workman-like condition. 
It is often the case that an amateur's tools are in such a 
state that no professional carver could produce satisfactory 
results with them. And yet the variety of carving tools is 
so limited that if the difficulties of sharpening a firmer and 
gouge are mastered the task is practically ended. 

If the tools should be unusually dull they must first be 
ground on a grindstone, and as carvers' tools are sharpened 
on both sides, they must be ground on both sides. ^The 
firmers may be sharpened on the oil-stone laid fiat on the 
bench, but the gouges must be held in the hand, in order 
to sharpen the inside curve with a slip. The outer curve 
can be sharpened on the fiat oil-stone, or held in the hand 
and dressed with the fiat side of a slip. Great care must 
be taken to give the tools a finished and smooth edge. 
When they have reached the proper degree of sharpness 
it will be an easy matter to cut across the grain of white 
pine, leaving a furrow that is entirely smooth and almost 
polished. 

In the use of the oil-stone and slips, neat's-foot oil, or a 
good, thin machine oil, should be employed. Astral oil is 
too thin, but the oil sold in small bottles for sewing- 

92 



WOOD-CARVING 



machines or bicycles will answer every purpose. Water 
should not be used, as it would spoil the stones, and not 
produce the sharp edge on the tools. 

The tools being in proper condition, the next step is to 
acquire a knowledge of the best methods of handling them. 
It will require some time and practice to become thor- 
oughly familiar with the manner in which tools are used, 
and, if it is possible, it would be well to watch some carver 
at work. 

The chisels should always be held with one hand on the 
handle, with two fingers of the other hand near the edge 
of the tool. This is to give sufficient pressure at the end 
to keep it down to the wood, while the hand on the handle 
gives the necessary push to make the tool cut. 

Chip-Carving 

To begin with, it is best to work on a simple pattern that 
can be followed easily. 

Get a piece of yellow pine, white-wood, or cypress seven- 
eighths of an inch thick, six inches wide, and twelve inches 
long. On a piece of smooth paper draw one-half of a pat- 
tern similar to the one shown in Fig. 14, or you may use 
any other simple design that is free in line and open in the 
ornament. Upon the wood lay a sheet of transfer-paper, 
with the black surface down, and on top of the transfer- 
sheet the paper bearing the design. Go over all the lines 
with a hard lead-pencil, bearing down firmly on the point, 
so that the lines will be transferred to the wood. Turn the 
design around and repeat the drawing, so that the wood 
7 93 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig. t4 

will bear the complete pattern. Clamp the wood to one 
side or comer of the bench with three or four clamps. Do 
not screw the clamps directly on the wood, but place be- 
tween the jaw and the wood a piece of heavy card-board, 




Ftg. t5 



WOOD-CARVING 



or another piece of thin wood, to prevent the clamps from 
bruising the surface of the panel. 

First, with a small V, or gouge-chisel, cut the lines; after 
that the leaves, using a fiat, or spade, chisel. Two curved 
incisions will shape out the leaf, and the angle through the 
centre describes the main vein. The chipping may be shal- 
low or deep, as a matter of choice, but more effect may be 
had by cutting fairly deep. 

The finished result will appear as shown in the illustra- 
tion of the chip-carved panel (Fig. 15). For light oma- 




menting or drawer-panels, fancy boxes, and picture-frames, 
this form of carving may be made both pleasing and effect- 
ive. Moreover, its mastery leads naturally to the more ar- 
tistic relief -carving. 

Relief-Carving 

Relief - carving differs from the chip work in that the 
ornament is raised instead of being cut in. Solid relief - 
parving, such as appears on panels, box-covers, and furni- 

95 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ture, is produced either by cutting the background away 
or by carving the ornament separately and then gluing it 
onto the surface of the article to be decorated. Of course, 
this latter process is only a makeshift, and the first method 
is the really artistic one. 

It is best to begin with something simple and then go on 
to the more complicated forms of ornamental work. A 
neat pattern for a long panel is shown in Fig. r6. This 
panel is twelve inches long and four and a half inches wide. 
• On a smooth piece of paper draw one-half of the design 
and transfer it to the wood, as described for the chip-carved 
panel. Clamp the wood to a comer of the bench and, with 
a small wooden mallet and both firmer and gouge chisels, 
cut down on the lines and into the face of the wood. Then, 
with the gouges and grounding-tool, cut away the back- 
ground to a depth of one-eighth of an inch or more, until a 




Fig. 17 



result is obtained similar to that shown in Fig. 17. The en- 
tire design and edge of the panel will then be in relief, but 
its surface will be flat and consequently devoid of artistic 

96 



WOOD-CARVING 



feeling. With the flat and extra flat gouge-chisels begin 
to carve some life into the ornament. A little practice will 
soon enable the young craftsman to observe which parts 
should be high and which should be low. The intermediate 




Fig. t8 

surfaces should be left neutral, or between high and low 
relief. This finishing process depends for its effect upon 
the good taste and feeling of the craftsman ; it is the quality 
that gives artistic beauty and meaning to the work. The 
panel, when completed, should have the appearance shown 
in Fig. r8. 

The ^^ Applied" Method 

As already stated, the general effect of relief-carving may 
be also obtained through the ''applied" method, a simpler 
and less tedious process, but neither so artistic nor so sub- 
stantial. 

The design is transferred to a thin piece of wood and cut 
out with a fret or jig saw. Fig. 19 shows a suitable pat- 
tern for this class of work. The pieces are then glued in 

97 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig. 19 

position on a thick piece of wood, and the "feeling" carved 
in after the fashion already indicated. This ''applied" 
carving may be used on the panels of small drawers, cabi- 
nets, and boxes of various sizes and shapes. The inventive 
girl will be able to design patterns for herself, or they may 
be cheaply bought. Fig. 20 shows the effect of the fin- 
ished work. 

To finish wood in any desired color, stains may be pur- 
chased at a paint or hardware shop. Over the stained sur- 




Fig. 20 



face, when dry, several thin coats of hard-oil finish or furni- 
ture varnish should be applied. The back and edges of a 
carved panel must always be painted to protect them from 
moisture and dampness; warping and splitting are thereby 

98 



WOOD-CARVING 



avoided. Some pieces of carving need only a coating of 
raw linseed-oil, while others may be treated to a wax finish 
composed of beeswax cut in turpentine, rubbed in with a 
cloth, and polished off. Another method of darkening oak 
(before it is varnished) is to expose it to the fumes of am- 
monia, or to paint on liquid ammonia, with a brush, until 
the desired antique shade is obtained. The staining proc- 
ess, however, is preferable. 



Qiaptcr IX 

WIRE-WORK 

TO begin with, it is necessary to obtain several yards of 
soft iron wire varying in sizes from No. 12 to No. 18, 
also a small roll of soft wire about the size that florists em- 
ploy to attach flowers to short sticks when making up 
bouquets. 

The tools needed will be a flat and a round nosed pair of 
pincers, or pliers (see Figs, i and 2), a wire-cutter, and a 
tack-hammer. You will also need a sheet of smooth brown 
paper and a soft lead-pencil with which to draw the pat- 
terns. 

A Bifd-Cagc Bracket 

Begin by making simple things; then as you succeed in 
producing good work you will be able to take up the more 
difficult patterns. A bird-cage bracket is an easy object to 
start with. Enlarge the design shown in Fig. 3 so that it 
will be sixteen inches high, with the hook-arm projecting 
seven inches from the main upright rod. 

The pattern is to be drawn out the full size on smooth 
brown paper ; then the wire should be bent and shaped over 
the lines to conform to the design. Use very heavy wire 

100 



WIRE-WORK 



for the upright and projecting arm, and a smaller size for 
all the scroll-work. The finest copper wire should be used 
to bind the scrolls together, and so make tight unions 

where two edges of 
wire come together 
and where the wires 
cross. 

The iron wire should 
be given two coats of 
good black paint, or, 
if desired, it may be gilded or sil- 
vered. An excellent black prep- 
aration for iron may be made by 
thinning ivory-black ground in oil 
with equal parts of Japan dryer 
and turpentine. Or you may try 
adding a little lamp- 
black to brass lacquer 
or shellac. 

The paint should be 
applied to the iron with 
a soft hair brush, and 
the first coat must be well, dried before the second one 
is applied. 

A Photograph Easel 

Fig. 4 shows a design for a photograph easel that will 
make an attractive table or mantel ornament if neatly con- 
structed from wire of medium size. It should not measure 
more than nine inches in height, and where the lattice- work 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



joins the lower cross-bar two hooks should be arranged on 
which the photograph can rest. 

A back support, or prop, to the easel may be made of 
wire, and soldered to the bar at the upper edge of the lat- 
tice-work. The lattice need not be made of as heavy 
wire as the scroll-work, and where the strands cross each 
other the junctions are to be securely bound with fine wire. 

Larger easels may be made for small framed etchings, for 
panel photographs, or for other purposes, but as the size 
of the easel is enlarged the thickness of the wire should be 
increased to give additional strength. 

By reducing the size of the lower scrolls this design 
would be quite appropriate for a lamp-shade, and instead of 
the lattice-work a piece of prettily colored silk or other 
translucent material may be inserted to serve as the 
backing. 

A Match-Box 

An attractive design for a match-box is shown in Fig. 5. 
The total height of the back piece should be nine inches, 
and the width three inches. The match-receptacle should be 
an inch deep and project one and a half inches from the wall. 

It should be lined with silk or other goods, to prevent 
the matches falling through the open-work of the grille. 
Finished in black, with a red or orange colored silk lining, 
this match-receptacle will be found both useful and orna- 
mental. 

A Fairy Lamp 

A hanging fairy lamp, like the one shown in Fig. 6, makes 
a pretty ornament for the parlor or living-room, 

102 



WIRE-WORK 




The bracket part is made in a similar manner to the bird- 
cage bracket, and should be of stout wire. The candle- 
sconce, or lamp part, is built up of four sets of scrolls ar- 
ranged about an old tin candlestick top, and securely 
bound together with strands of fine wire closely wrapped. 

By using brass wire soldered at the unions a stronger 
construction is possible. 

The sconce should be suspended from the bracket-hook 
by means of four light wires. These latter may also sup- 
port a canopy shade made over a light framework of wire. 

Ordinary colored candles will look well in this fairy lamp. 

103 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



To keep the colors in harmony it would be well to obtain 
candles of a tint that will match the color of the silk shade. 
The lamp may be fastened to a door or window casing, 
or perhaps to the side of a mantel-piece. 

A Picttire-Frame 

Fig. 7 shows the design for a picture-frame that is in- 
tended to hang against the wall. The frame proper may 

be made of very narrow picture- 
frame moulding around which the 
grille -work is arranged. Where 
the latter touches the woodwork 
it is to be made fast with small 
staples driven in the outer edge, 
and the ends clinched at the in- 
side, or rabbet, of the frame. -Or 





fine wire may 
be used in place 
of the staples. 
If an all-iron 
effect is de- 
sired, the rab- 
bet should be 

made of thin stove-pipe iron or sheet-brass, bent into angular 
form and finally shaped to the required size. Around it the 

104 



WIRE-WORK 



grille-work is to be made and bound, in about the same pro- 
portion as shown in the drawing. 

A Glove-Box 

A design for a glove-box is shown in Fig. 8. It should be 
ten inches long, five wide, and three inches high. 

The bottom should be made of a thin piece of wood, and 
the entire inside, including the top, should be lined with 
some handsome and substantial material in bright colors. 

The four sides and the top should be made in separate 
pieces, and afterward bound securely together with fine 
wire. 



Chapter X 

LEATHER-WORKING 

UNLIKE many crafts, the essential implements of 
leather- working are few in number. To transfer upon 
leather, a pointed tracer of metal, agate, or even an orange- 
stick is employed. For carving, a little knife is used which 
is sharpened at an angle on the end, and not on the side of 
the blade, as Fig. r shows. The opener and modeller is 
the tool used, as its name implies, to open the leather along 
lines previously cut, and the modeller, likewise, may be 
used for this as well as to flatten down or raise certain por- 
tions of the design. A small, light-handled hammer is ab- 
solutely necessary. Any large art-store or shop selling 
craftsmen's tools should be able to supply the foregoing 
implements. A few sets for background work are, of course, 
necessary. We may as well confess that fancy runs riot re- 
garding the number eventually demanded, but good results 
are obtainable when only the simplest are used. These little 
tools are of steel, variously cut and engraved, and used to 
stamp the leather with their different devices. Simplest 
to use in this way are the nail-head sets, which, in many 
sizes, are found at hardware-shops. With them we make 
circles of various sizes. A steel rod, one-eighth inch in 

io6 



LEATHER-WORKING 



diameter, may be used if cut to desired length and the end 
scored with diagonal or parallel lines. This may seem 
quite hopeless to a girl, this making of tools, but every- 



_ so 

ra An 111 



Trcic:.^r. 



tJ 



/S?-t5. 



[\ntj^. 



nj]oci^n^r. 



^ooL^. 




Fig.t 

where one comes across some handy man who can properly 
file up and emery down a few tools for leather-work if the 
feminine experimenter is too far removed from a base of 
supplies. Manual-training movement in the schools through- 

107 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



out the country has brought leather-work much in evidence, 
and accordingly the tools are no longer hard to procure, but 
only in Europe may one find an assortment of sets. In 
this country workers depend upon making their own or 
having them made by machinists. 

A slab of marble is also necessary, for one needs an un- 
yielding surface when doing the tooling. A very weak 
solution of oxalic acid is useful to remove spots, but must 
be extremely weak, else it will remove both spot and sur- 
face, and one will be confronted with a blemish which art 
may not hide. 

The last rite in leather- work is the wax finishing, and 
for this ordinary floor wax is most excellent. 



The Material 

Russian calfskin is the leather best suited for tooling 
when fashioning small articles, for it is easily cut and 
handled. Cowhide makes excellent pillows or heavy mats, 
but from its texture and weight is not practical for really 
dainty work. Only a little experience will be required to 
recognize the proper weight of calfskin; it must not be 
too thin, and if very thick will be clumsy. 

Leather is generally bought by the whole or half hide, 
and charged for by the square foot. The size of the hide 
never seems to agree with the size of the bill, and, accord- 
ingly, one learns to practise economy, and, by cutting the 
leather with straight, true lines, to leave remaining portions 
in the most workable condition. 

io8 



LEATHER-WORKING 



The Process 

With all tools and material of proper size at hand, one 
begins to work, first placing the design upon the leather. 
For this the leather is moistened with tepid water, and the 
design, upon either heavy manila paper or muslin, is laid 
over and traced on with the tracer. Next, the design is 
cut, or merely portions of it may be cut. With the work 
still moist, cut directly on the tracing line, just a grain 
beneath the glazed surface of Russia leather, but deeper, 
of course, for a heavier hide. Never make a slip — ^use a 
ruler, if desired, for straight lines. Never cut up to the 
very tip of a comer, but leave a wee bit of leather to hold 
things together ; a successful result hangs on this little thread 
of leather, for, once cut clear, the comer point ever twists 
and pokes itself into a nowise ornamental obtrusion. 

The next step is to open the design's cut lines and to 
model those uncut. For opening, the smaller end of the 
modelling- tool is used. It is held upright in the right hand, 
guided by holding it against the outer edge of the left index 
finger, which, with the left hand flat on the leather, should 
be made to swing as a pivot. As the tool must be held 
firmly against this finger, it is wise to protect it with a band 
of leather. The tool must move evenly and firmly, and one 
soon sees how a little bevel edge may be formed on one or 
both sides of the opened line. What may be called dragging 
the tool will flute the leather instead of bevelling it — a very 
objectionable trick, brought about by allowing the tool to 
sag in the hand along the direction of the line followed, as 
is natural when holding a pen or pencil. The marble slab 
8 109 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



should be placed under the work after the leather has been 
cut, and until all carving and tooling are finished the work 
must be kept moist. 

In using the background sets practice is the main require- 
ment after one fixes in mind to hold the tool perfectly up- 
right and to strike with even hammer blows. Always to 
lift the hammer equally and let it fall upon the tool-head is 
better than to actually strike each blow. An even surface 
in tooling is the aim, and this can only be brought about 
by even blows. 

A tiny piece of floor-wax, well wrapped in muslin, may 
be rubbed over the leather as a finish. Let this be done 
near the fire, so that the heat will help distribute it. Allow 
it to dry for a few minutes, and then polish with a soft 
cloth, and, if streaked, keep near the fire until these lines 
evaporate. 

A Card-Case 

Attractive work is shown in the card-case illustrated in 
Fig. 2 A and B. On an oblong of leather, four and a half 
by six inches, the design was transferred, carved, and mod- 
elled. The card-case lining may be either of leather or of 
silk; the latter, however, never fits as well as leather, and 
ooze goat or the leathers used in bookbinding, called skiver, 
are far more satisfactory. Cutting the case and its pockets 
requires a sharp knife and true angles. Fold the outside of 
the case while still damp, and allow to dry before adding 
the leather lining. Next, put in the lining leather, secur- 
ing it with flour paste around the edges, and making sure 
that it fits well up into the fold at the centre of the case. 

no 



LEATHER-WORKING 




Fig. 2 A 




Fig. 2B 

After this, hold the pockets in place, and, if possessed of a 
lock-stitch machine, sew the case together. 

A Book-Cover 

The book-cover (Fig. 3) has an interlacing design very 
simple to carve, its background being sunken by pressing 
the leather down with the modeller. Inside, it is finished 
much like the card-case, pockets being laced to the outside 
with one-eighth-inch thongs of leather, 

III 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



A Table-Mat 

In the ten-inch mat the background is tooled, but this, 
like the book-cover, may be merely pressed down, if desired. 

Coloring may be introduced in all of the designs. Aniline 
dyes are simple to use, mixed with alcohol or water. Keep 
the leather quite moist while working ; use sponges to apply 
the dye where an entire surface is to be covered with one 




Fig. 3 

color, putting the color on lightly and sponging up, down, 
and crosswise to keep out streaks. Deepen by means of 
successive baths. 

An Opera-Bag 

An extremely dainty opera-bag made of white lambskin 
is illustrated in Fig. 5. This leather is too soft for tooling, 

112 




Fig. 4 




Fig. 5 

DESIGNS FOR LEATHER WORK 



mandy-book for girls 



so the design was traced on in pencil and outlined with a 
fine brush and brown waterproof ink. A pretty scheme 
of tans and yellow was carried out in coloring the design. 
The top of the bag was faced with tan ooze leather, like the 
lacings. A soft satin lining was sewed to the base of this 
top facing, which extended just below the drawing thongs, 
the ends of which were finished with yellow beads. 

Tooled and Embroidered Leather Trimmings 

Coats or suits having trimmings of leather always carry 
with them a certain distinctive air, which one is at a loss 
to obtain when employing more customary materials. 
Leather of several sorts is thoroughly suitable for trimming 
outer garments, and it likewise may be ornamented in dif- 
ferent manner, depending upon the sort of leather selected. 
For fine Russian calfskin tooling and carving will be the 
best methods of decoration, but for so-called Suede or ooze- 
finished leathers, either goat, calf, or sheep skin, embroidery 
in silk or mercerized flosses is better .suited. 

Collars, cuffs, re vers, and buttons may all be made of 
leather; and while embroidered leather is extremely simple, 
tooled leather will not prove difficult if carefully under- 
taken. 

A CoIIar-and-Ctiff Set 

Two sections for a rolled collar, with a deep cuff to match, 
and button, are illustrated in Figs. 6 A and 6 B, and are 
designed for a strictly tailor-made garment. They are 

114 



LEATHER- WORKING 




Fig. 6 A 




Fig. 6B 

tooled upon fine champagne-tinted Russian calfskin, and in 
the illustration the design is distinctly conventional, bor- 
rowing slightly from the Arabesque in suggestion. The 
pattern may be emphasized by coloring it a little darker 
than the background, using a very weak mixture of dye for 
this purpose, 

115 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Leather Embroidery 

Embroidery on leather is very simple, and in Figs. 7 A, 
7 B, and 7 C a set of embroidered vest, cuffs, and buttons 
is pictured. 

Tan goatskin with ooze or Suede finish was selected for 
this, as it is of softer texture than sheepskin, and much less 
expensive than calfskin. The modified fret design is in- 
dented from a muslin pattern, and then burned with a very 
light line, a pyrographic point being used. After this the 
design is colored in a dull shade of green (between sage and 
olive) , the color being obtained by a light wash of purplish 
blue, which is modified to green by the tone of the leather. 
A border of Indian red finishes each piece, while the border 
outline is made of a row of black back-stitch, which is whip- 
ped over by green, giving the effect of a twisted cord. 

All the embroidery is simply done, in outline-stitch and 
French knots. A heavy mercerized floss, resembling silk, 
may be used instead of silk if preferred. This, or the 
twisted rope silk, is used with a carpet-needle. One must 
take care not to tear the leather with the large needle, and 
while stitches must be uniform they must not be too small. 

It is the color scheme which makes this coat trimming 
so delightful; sage, old-gold, and black predominate, while 
occasional dots of coral pink give an accent of brightness. 
The outline of the design is green at times, then gold or 
black at others; and parallel edges of the pattern always 
show contrasting colors, as can be seen even in the black- 
and-white reproduction. 

Leather buttons must be embroidered or tooled before 

116 



LEATHER- WORKING 



being made up. Any tailor or dressmaking-supply estab- 
lishment will know where to have them made up. Buttons 
with rims are the only ones suitable to leather, which is too 
heavy to be used in machines covering plain buttons. 
Leather trimmings are attached with machine stitchery 





Fig.JB 




Fig.7C 



Fig. 7 A 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



to any garment where pieces are joined, as in collar and 
revers sections. They may be overhanded together on the 
wrong side of ooze leather; or with a glazed leather they 
may be slot-seamed against a piece of ribbon or binding. 
Any doubling of glazed leather is to be avoided, as it is 
generally far too bulky for such treatment. 



Chapter XI 

THE ART OF ENAMELLING 

THE art of enamelling is within the reach of any girl 
who is willing to bring her latent gifts into play. 
It is generally supposed that enamelling entails expen- 
sive lessons from an expert, and that a knowledge of making 
jewelry is essential; but this is not so, as it is only necessary 
to understand the process of enamelling and the cutting 
of the metal to receive it. All the mounting can be done 
by a jeweller. It is best to find a working jeweller who will 
take an interest in carrying out the ideas of the enameller, 
and who is content to charge for labor only. It is also 
possible to make use of the cheap jewelry which can some- 
times be picked up in such good designs. When the metal 
is covered with enamel, it only requires an edge to protect 
it from being chipped, which can be added by the working 
jeweller. 

The Kiln and Tools 

The work will require some outlay for the necessary tools 
and kiln; but it is best to get only a small stock of tools 
at first, and add to them as they are needed. 

There are three kinds of kilns — charcoal, electric, and gas; 

119 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the latter is usually the most convenient. Inside a kiln is 
fitted a "muffler " — a hollow, semi-circular shaped piece, the 
opening of which is just the size of the door. The flames 
burn aroand and underneath the muffler, and must never 
come in contact with the enamels. When ready for firing, 
enamels are put on small iron plaques, which must be kept 
scrupulously clean with whitewash, for if the irons come in 
contact with the enamel it would spoil the colors. The 
furnace must be brought to a white-heat, and the plaque 
carefully set in the muffler with the pincers. The door, 
which is in two pieces, is then put in place. The time of 
firing varies from two and a half minutes to five, but the 
enameller must learn by experience just how long to fire 
the pieces. Sometimes they require three or four firings. 
Each time the enamel is painted over the glass already fired. 

Preparing the Colors 

Enamel is made of powdered glass, which is bought in small 
lumps; a skilled worker will use as many as forty colors, 
but it is best for a beginner to start with about six. The 
glass should be kept in envelopes, and the name of the color 
written on the outside. A couple of mortars with pestles 
and some cups must be provided. Put the colored glass in 
the mortar, and cover the lumps of glass with water to pre- 
vent particles flying about the room. First break the 
lumps into little bits, not directly with the pestle, but by 
pounding the pestle down upon them with a wooden mal- 
let. Then crush these bits into powder with the pestle. 
With some colors the powder must be finer than with 

1 20 



THE ART OF ENAMELLING 



others, but this point can only be determined by expe- 
rience. 

After the crushing, the powder is very carefully washed. 
Part of the secret of beautiful clear color lies in many wash- 
ings — sometimes fifty or sixty. At first the water is very 
cloudy, and dust rises to the top. Again and again the 
water must be poured off and fresh poured on; wash until 
the water is absolutely clear and the glass powder all lies at 
the bottom. The glass must be washed as it is needed, or 
dust will get in and dull the color. The enamel is now 
ready to be painted on the metal, which may be gold, silver, 
copper, brass, or iron — even tin can be utilized. Long ago 
enamellers had to have banks, or beds, of metal to keep the 
enamel in place, but to-day the color is kept ''still" with- 
out metal boundaries, and the process only requires that 
the enamel be applied like paint. 

The Metal 

The metal can be procured in small sheets of various 
thickness; a medium weight or gauge is best suited to 
enamelling. First draw a design on thin Japanese tracing- 
paper, and paste it over the metal; then, with a jeweller's 
fret-saw, cut out the design, following the lines of the pat- 
tern. It is best to begin on simple things, such as tops for 
umbrella handles, lids of boxes, or hat-pins and buttons, using 
articles that can be bought in the shops, and adding the 
distinctive touch of good enamelling to them. Suppose a 
silver box is bought with a concave lid. Fig. r shows such 
a box ornamented by the figure of a swan, a most effective 

121 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



design. This may be engraved, which is scratching a sim- 
ple design with an engraving tool, or, if preferred, the top 
of the box could be hammered instead of engraved. Place 
the metal on a piece of iron, and use a small tool called a 
"cup tool." Hammer this tool with a wooden mallet, 




•**4* *«ii«^!*s,ir%'2 



Fig.t 



which will make a small round ring-rising relief. Some 
workers use only a fourpenny nail filed blunt at the point, 
but the cup tool makes the work easier for an amateur. 
After engraving or hammering, clean the piece with pow- 
dered pumice-stone and water; then polish with a bur- 
nisher until bright. This must be done on both sides, and 
has to be repeated after the article is enamelleci ^nd fired, 

I2g 



THE ART OF ENAMELLING 



The metal assumes a bright, lustrous finish, whether it is 
brass, copper, or silver, after the burnishing, and is then 
ready to be enamelled. 

The Process 

Mix the color with some water to a paste and paint the 
colors on, according to the design, or give the piece a coat 
of one color all over, using a fine sable brush. Some workers 
use a small pen-knife, or palette-knife, when only one color 
is used. This must not be fired until the "paste" is dry. 
Too much color must not be put on at once — ^just a thin 
coat, and then the piece is fired. Solidity is given by suc- 
cessive paintings, each of which has to be fired. Some 
enamels are transparent, and others opaque. Very inter- 
esting effects are obtained by the opaque enamels playing 
into the transparent ones. When a transparent color is 
painted on first to the background, and the design is cov- 
ered with opaque color, the effect is quite unique. Some 
enamels fire at a lower temperature than others, and there- 
fore must be put on last. This knowledge of how long the 
various colors take to fuse can only be found out by ex- 
perience. 

When copper is used as a foundation the process is a 
little different to the silver. It is really a sort of double 
enamelling. The copper must first be "fluxed," which 
means that it must be painted with perfectly transparent 
glass, like window-glass, ground, like the others, to powder, 
and then fired. "Fluxing" prevents the copper showing 
through and spoiling the color. The colored glass must be 

123 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



painted on and fired. If very brilliant blue or green is 
desired, gold or silver foil is spread over the fluxed copper 
and enamelled. The silver -foil must be pierced with a 
needle, so that the air may escape, otherwise it would 
bubble up. Stick the foil to the fluxed copper with a little 
diluted gum arabic. 

When a girl is also a maker of jewelry, she can evolve 
all kinds of beautiful things. Silver wire may be put on 
the design with a blow-pipe, as in cloisonne. The bold out- 
line and division of the work by means of the wire adds to 
its beauty and strength very considerably. 

Many makers of jewelry go to a good deal of unnecessary 
trouble in making links and "pulling the wire," but as 
chains can be bought by the yard and small rings by the 
dozen, it is really a waste of time. They can be fastened 
to the solid pieces by means of a blow-pipe, and semi- 
precious stones, such as amethysts, moonstones, and tour- 
malines, are effective when the color of the enamel is well 
chosen, and blister pearls are always beautiful when well set. 

When an enameller is working, she should, if possible, 
be alone, as a person walking about can raise dust, and if 
it gets into the colors it mars their brilliancy, so it is most 
important to be very careful about this. If this point is 
observed, all else that is needed for success in this art is an 
eye for color and a slight knowledge of drawing. The 
greatest pleasure lies in making one's own designs, and 
painting the clear, beautiful colors on those designs. It is 
delightful to be able to make gifts for one's friends that are 
one's own creation, and last, but not least, good prices can 
be obtained for enamelling that amply repay for the time 

124 



THE ART OF ENAMELLING 



spent in making the enamels and the original outlay for 
materials. 

A very important matter in the successful making of 
enamels is that too much care cannot be taken in regard to 
certain details, especially in connection with the treatment 
of certain metals. Copper, as has been already stated, 
should be coated with a transparent English flux if trans- 
parent colors are to be applied; but when opaque colors 
are to be used this is not necessary. Copper or gilder's 
metal should be put for half a minute into a solution of 
nitric acid and afterward rinsed in cold water and perfectly 
dried before it is in condition to receive the flux or enamel. 
Silver can only be cleaned with sulphuric acid, and it is 
important that the enamel be put on as soon after the clean- 
ing process as possible, when it must immediately be put 
into a hot fire. If the fire is too slow the metal is apt to 
oxidize before the enamel melts, preventing the colors from 
being clear and bright. Another detail that must not be 
overlooked is that the enamel must be mixed with gum 
tragacanth when it is applied to the sloping sides, or the 
enamel will slide off when subjected to the heat of the 
furnace. Every worker in enamels finds that experience 
is the best teacher, but there are, of course, certain points 
which have to be borne in mind constantly. It is not neces- 
sary in the early attempts to buy a furnace, as it is possible 
to heat the enamel by means of a Bunsen burner or a blow- 
pipe ; but if the enamelling is to be taken up seriously, it is 
best to purchase a furnace. 



Chapter XII 

HAND-MADE JEWELRY 

HAND-MADE jewelry of all kinds has become so popu- 
lar within the last few years that many women are 
taking up this handicraft as a means of support. Silver is 
a favorite medium at this time, and many beautiful neck- 
laces and chains are shown at the handicraft exhibitions 
from time to time. If good taste is shown in the design 
and the workmanship is excellent, such work commands a 
high price. It requires dexterity of handling and a great 
capacity for taking pains. The simplest form of jewelry- 
making is quickly learned, and as the student goes more 
deeply into the craft she is able to work out individual 
work on characteristic lines. A study of methods and ex- 
perience in the different kinds of material enables her to 
express her ideas in this craft. Excellence of hand-work 
is the foundation of successful jewelry-making. 

Material and Tools 

A beginner is at first timid at preparing the material her- 
self, and as the silver plate can be bought rolled to the 
thickness required, it is wiser to begin with the prepared 

126 



HAND-MADE JEWELRY 



material. Silver wire can be obtained drawn to the re- 
quired thickness, and this can be ordered by number until 
the student has sufficient confidence in herself to draw her 
own wire through a draw-plate. 

It is best not to get too many tools to begin with, but to 
add gradually as the work is further developed. Binding- 
wire of several gauges, ranging from eighteen to the finest, 
will be required for tying the work together while being 
soldered. Crystal borax will be needed, and can be ground 
up into a fine powder. Sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, 
and nitric acid will all be required for the various pickling 
solutions. The following is the proportion in which they 
must be used : 

Nitric-acid pickle i part nitric acid, 6 parts water 

Hydrochloric-acid pickle . . . .i part acid, 8 parts water 
Sulphuric-acid pickle ....... i part acid, 6 parts water 

Have on hand a pound of boxwood sawdust, which will 
be required for drying the work after washing. If the saw- 
dust is kept in a tin box, the drying can be accomplished 
by placing the box on an iron plate, which must be sup- 
ported over a gas-flame. Take care that the sawdust is 
not allowed to burn, for fear of staining the work. 

The tools necessary to begin with should include: Two 
chasing-hammers, one heavy and one light; two punches 
and two chasing- tools; a set of round files; a set of flat 
files; a set of needle files; a pair of slide pliers; a set of 
scorpers; snarling- irons ; a small cold-chisel; a bench- vise; 
a joint tool for making hinges; two or three pliers, round 
^n4 fl^t; two paiirs of cutting-shears, one straight and onQ 

18? 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



curved; a jeweller's frame-saw and fine piercing-saw; a 
drill-stock; one or two sizes of mandrils, and graving- tool. 
A wooden block will be required on which to do the work, 
also a blow-pipe and some form of spirit-lamp or gas-lamp. 
These accessories are all that the student will need at first. 

Soldering 

It is best for the worker to make her own solder, as it is 
a means of using up old scraps. This is easy after seeing 
it made by some other craftsman, but she will need to see 
it made by some one else before she will thoroughly under- 
stand how it is done. The solder can be bought prepared, 
however. 

The parts of the metal to be joined must be thoroughly 
cleansed until they are bright. Now take a lump of borax 
crystal and grind it up with water. Take a slip of solder 
and gash it lengthwise ; also several slits can be made across 
it. Immerse it in the borax until it is completely covered 
by a fine coating of borax. Now take the pieces of metal 
and paint them over with a solution of borax by means of 
a camel's-hair brush. The pieces to be joined are now tied 
together in their proper position by binding -wire. The 
edges must not be too closely held together, or else the 
solder when heated will not enter the joint. When the two 
pieces of metal are fitted and bound with wire, the joint 
is then moistened with a brush charged with borax solution. 

Little chips of solder are then placed at intervals along 
the joint. It is then warmed in the flame of a blow-pipe 
and allowed to dry. It is then heated again with a hotter 

128 



HAND-MADE JEWELRY 



flame, heating it gradually. Only allow the part near the 
joint to get red-hot. If the work has been brought to the 
right heat, the solder will run along the joint, filling it in 
every part. The portion of the metal must not be allowed 
to cool, or the joint will be imperfect, and the work will have 
to be cooled and done over again, after first cleaning it with 
equal parts of hydrochloric acid and water. 

Soldering can be done in four ways — with a gas-flame and 
mouth blow-pipe, on a charcoal fire with fans and small 
bellows, with foot-bellows and hand blow-pipe, or with an 
oil-lamp or spirit-lamp. 

Making a Ring 

A beginner invariably begins on a small piece of jewelry 
like a ring, as the outlay is small. Jewellers sometimes re- 
ject stones which have some slight blemish, but which a 
craftsman often finds worthy of a good setting, and for 
practice this opportunity should not be lost sight of. The 
process is the same for setting a stone in a ring, bracelet, 
or necklace. Select a stone that is rounded, and which 
should be well bevelled, so that the setting will hold it firmly 
in place. Settings may be open or closed, as preferred; a 
closed setting is really a box, the upper edge of which is 
rubbed over the stone. The open setting is sometimes only 
a rim without a bottom. To make a ring of this kind a 
band of silver must be cut from No. 5 or 6 metal gauge. 
Cut this a little higher than the intended setting, to allow 
for filing level and rubbing over. Now bend the strip and 
fit it closely around the stone. When this is done the super- 

129 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



fluous metal must be cut off and the ends fitted together. 
Then tie round the setting some fine binding-wire, making 
sure that the ends meet, and make a neat joint. Now take 
the borax brush and paint the joint; take some solder, dip 
it in the borax, and lay it on the joint. Then warm the 
setting in the flame, and when the borax has ceased boiling 
direct the tip of the blue flame on the joint of the setting, 
which will make the solder run into it. Now let the setting 
cool and tap it with a light hammer, after having placed it 
first on a tapered steel mandril. Now take a piece of 
silver, No. 6 or 8. The choice may be decided according 
to the use to which it is intended to put the setting. Cut 
it a little larger all round than the setting, and scrape the 
surface clean. Tie the setting on firmly with binding-wire 
and cover the surface with borax, as before. When the 
joint is nicely set, file off the superfluous metal, and you 
will have a box which will just take the stone. 

This is the simplest form of setting and the safest, but 
the present fashion is more in favor of the open back. The 
metal must now be rubbed over the setting and the edges 
filed. Settings can be grouped together and united by fili- 
gree-work when making pins, clasps, or necklaces. To 
make an open setting take a thick strip of metal, lo gauge, 
and bend it a little smaller than the stone, and solder. Now 
take a sharp graving-tool, and, after wetting the point, cut 
away the metal inside the top edge, so as to leave a ledge 
part of the way down in which the stone must fit. Take 
a small file and shape the setting into leaves or claws, first 
blocking the main forms. Care must be taken to leave 
enough metal at the top to hold the stone. The outer sur- 

130 



HAND-MADE JEWELRY 



face of the ornament may be carved with the round gravers 
to whatever shape is desired. Too much care cannot be 
taken in securing the stone firmly in its place. 

Necklaces 

Necklaces should be planned on a circle about four and 
a half inches in diameter, and all pendants should be ar- 
ranged on radial lines to insure their hanging properly 
when worn. Having first made the design for the necklace 
on paper, have ready your mounted settings and some 
flattened wire or rolled twist ; then proceed to coil up links 
from the flattened wire to follow the lines of the design. 
The link is best made by taking a piece of flattened wire 
which has had the edge rounded off by the file. Now take 
a strip of thin paper and wrap it spirally round the mandril, 
securing it at each end by a few turns of binding-wire. 
Then take the wire, which may be simple or compound, 
and fix the mandril in a hand- vise. Coil the wire spirally 
round the m^andril closely and regularly, until as much wire 
has been used as will be required. Now heat it with a blow- 
pipe until the paper round the mandril is charred away, 
when it will be found that the mandril can be drawn from 
the coil, which would have been impossible had not the 
paper been used. From this spiral cut off the links length- 
wise, keeping the cut as clean as possible. Some twelve or 
thirteen links, according to the length of the wire, should 
now be cut off. Again coil another piece of wire on a 
slightly larger mandril, and saw these parts in a like manner. 
Then loop them together in such lengths as will be needed, 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig.t 



connecting the various features of the necklace, after which 
each link must be soldered separately, using what is called 
a mop to solder them on, always confining the heat to the 
particular link that is being soldered. 

A ready-made chain known as a Venetian chain can be 
bought if the student cares to introduce two kinds of links 
into her work. 

It will be seen by the foregoing directions that jewelry- 

132 



HAND-MADE JEWELRY 



making consists principally in soldering links and setting 
stones. When this is done in a good and workman-like 
manner, the beauty of the design will be greatly enhanced. 
Such work as is shown in Fig. i is done to-day by women 
who are earning a good living by working jewelry. Lessons 
are given at some of the art schools. Another practical 
way of becoming proficient in the art is to go into the studio 
of a skilled craftsman and do the work under his direction. 
One or two lessons will suffice to teach the student the use 
of the tools and the methods of workmanship, but each 
worker must work out for herself her own methods, and 
must make her own designs, if she hopes to become an 
original and much-sought-after maker and designer of 
jewelry. 



Chapter XIII 

BLOCK-PRINTING 

OF late years there has been a great revival of some of 
the ancient handicrafts, especially in regard to the 
printing of fabrics. Batik and block-printing are some of 
the processes that have been brought from oblivion, and 
craft-workers are getting most interesting results from 
their experiments in the various methods of color printing. 
At one time almost all figured fabrics were printed by 
means of a block-print. The Hindoos and Japanese were 
especially gifted in printing designs of many colors. Their 
methods were introduced into Europe about the seven- 
teenth century, and although this primitive method of 
printing with a hand-block has been given up in favor of 
printing by machinery, there are still fabrics being colored 
by means of blocks. Some of the most expensive wall- 
papers, called hand-made, still have their pattern im- 
pressed by means of the block. The effect is so much more 
beautiful than ordinary printing that there are always 
people who are willing to pay higher prices for the hand- 
printed fabrics and wall-papers. 

The process evolved by craft-workers of torday is some- 
what different from that used commercially. Each color 

134 



BLOCK-PRINTING 



requires a separate block cut from fine, close-grained wood. 
Holly, boxwood, maple, or basswood are all utilized for 
the making of blocks. When small patterns are required, 
an easy method of procuring them is to buy a box of child's 
building-blocks which are of maple and made in square 
and oblong shapes. They are an inch and a half in thick- 
ness, so that they lend themselves admirably to block- 
printing. 

There is a charm about a block-printed fabric that ap- 
peals to all those of artistic temperament. A block-printed 
fabric has very much the same appearance as a piece of 
material that is stencilled. It presents a more iridescent 
and cloudy appearance, and has not the even symmetry of 
a stencilled fabric. It is specially adapted to small geo- 
metrical patterns, and has the advantage when a light 
color is to be printed on a dark one. 

The Preparation of the Block 

Block-printing is done in the following manner; First 
procure the block, a little larger than the pattern, and sand- 
paper it on both sides. Take some Japanese tracing-paper 
and paste it with library paste on the block, and then draw, 
or trace, the design. Shade the background with the pencil, 
so that the pattern stands out clearly, and then proceed to 
cut out the background with either a Sloyd or pen knife. 
Some craft-workers claim that they require wood-carving 
tools, but beautifully carved blocks have been done with 
the thirty-five-cent Sloyd knife. While the block is being 
carved, it is best to hold it on the table by means of cleats. 

135 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Some workers find it easier to hold the block in the palm 
of the left hand. The blocks of different workers vary con- 
siderably in appearance. Some are deeply indented, while 
others have only a slight depression. Figs, i and 2 are ex- 
cellent examples of artistic block designs. 





Fig.t 



Fig. 2 



The work is not difficult to do, but it requires care. 
Lines should be cut vertically directly on the outline of 
the design. Unless great care is taken a chip may inad- 
vertently be broken off, and a new block will have to 
be made. 



The Colors 

The color for printing must now be prepared. Oil-colors 
or dyes are generally used ; oil-color is the best medium, as 
there is no difficulty about its being fast. Take a tube and 
squeeze some paint onto a saucer or palette. Mix a little 

136 



BLOCK-PRINTING 



turpentine with it until the color is as thick as cream. A 
few drops of mucilage must then be added to keep the color 
from spreading when it is applied to the fabric. Make a 
pad of cheese-cloth of several thicknesses and place it in a 
saucer, and then take the diluted pigment and lay it over 
the pad with a paint-brush until the pad has thoroughly 
absorbed the color. In order to know if there is enough 
color on the pad, turn it upside down and let any super- 
fluous color drop off. Great care about this detail is the 
secret of good block-printing. 

A new block is not at first suitable for printing. In 
order to get it into good working shape, press the carved 
side of the block on the pad, wipe off the color with a rag, 
repeating the process several times until all the pores of the 
new wood are completely filled; then polish with a soft 
cloth, and the block will be in perfect working order. 



The Printing 

There is a wide range of materials suitable for printing. 
Unbleached muslin, linen, cheese-cloth, pongee silks, denim, 
and mummy-cloth are all favorites with block-printers. As 
unbleached muslin is inexpensive and easy to print, it is 
a good choice for the beginner. Mummy-cloth is particu- 
larly well adapted to the process (see Fig. 3). The material 
must be stretched taut on a rough table or board, and 
creased and measured to show where the pattern may 
come to, or a row of pins can be placed as a guide for the 
block. When once the color is applied it cannot be changed, 

137 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig. 3 



so that it is most important to have the exact place indi- 
cated where the printing must be done. Then proceed to 
press the block face downward on the material. This will 
leave a delicate imprint. If a strong impression is pre- 
ferred, the back of the block must be hammered with ^ 



BLOCK-PRINTING 



wooden mallet. The harder the blow, the darker the print. 
Great care must be taken to make each succeeding impres- 
sion as light or as heavy as its predecessor, although a certain 
amount of variation is permissible. The printing is most 
interesting to do, and block-printers become most en- 




Fig. 4 

thusiastic over their craft, and the work goes so rapidly 
that a great many yards of block-printing can be done in 
three hours. 

139 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Each block-printer finds out new methods, but as a rule 
they find that thin fabrics require clear colors a little darker 
than the background, while dark materials can be printed 
with opaque colors. The cloudy, iridescent appearance of 
block-printing is one of its chief charms. 

Block-printing need not be confined to ornamenting 
fabrics, as it may be used for wood, leather, or paper. It 
is particularly well suited for decorating the inside of book- 
covers, and many bookbinders combine the art of block- 
printing with that of tooling leather, in order to have their 
books appropriately decorated. 

A small geometrical border is particularly well suited 
for table-covers, curtains, bureau and sideboard covers. 
The latter may either be ornamented in the same way or 
have a deep design printed on each end. A curtain or 
portiere (Fig. 4) may be decorated with the border design 
at the side and across the bottom, or an all-over design cov- 
ering the entire fabric. 



Chapter XIV 

STENCIL-WORK 

THERE are many ways of rendering home attractive, 
but there is one way of especially beautifying it, and 
that is by the aid of stencil-work. 

The art of stencilling reaches far and wide. It is as old 
as the ancients and as modem as ourselves. It is so in- 
terestingly simple in treatment that if one be artistic in 
ideas and clever enough to originate one's own designs, 
the interior of one's home can be turned into the most 
enchant ingly exclusive place in town. 

Borders and centres can be stencilled on burlap, velours, 
cloth, silk, cotton goods, leather, crex grass-cloth, and made 
into portieres, table-pieces, sofa-covers, screens, mats, or 
rugs. Sofa - cushions with stencilled college flags, yacht 
flags, coats of arms, give a certain tone of jollity to any 
sombre-looking study. 

Take, for instance, the wood panels in the living-room. 
How decorative they would be with some odd design in one 
or two colors, running lengthwise, or just a simple green 
border on the dull oak. The children's room would look 
more cheerful with a gayly colored frieze and a touch of 
color in the ecru or white curtains. The bedroom would 

141 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



take on a festive air with some dainty design stencilled 
on the bedspread, the bureau-cover, and the foot -rug. 
For ornament there is nothing more effective than the 
large terra-cotta pottery, with a design or a figure or 
two stencilled in black and red. You w^ould give to it 
a novel touch all your own which could not be bought in 
any shop. 

The more personality you impart to your surroundings 
the more charming those surroundings will become to you 
and to those interested in you. There need not be an 
abode in town as individual as your own, and there is noth- 
ing that appeals more to a tired business man in his home 
than a cozy touch of individual daintiness, which is the 
great panacea for the ''commonplaces" of outside ex- 
istence. 

The possibilities of stencil-work for fancy-dress parties 
and amateur theatricals are unlimited, as any one who 
has the slightest spark of ingenuity will readily perceive. 

What fun an Indian party would be! The blue, red, 
green, or yellow patterns of the Navajo blankets could be 
stencilled on ordinary khaki, and I assure you they would 
present a very gorgeous array. A butterfly-party would 
allow a vast scope for color. There are so many butterflies 
— the large and small, the motley colored, those with spikes 
which protrude so fascinatingly, and the little, simple, 
black, yellow, and blue ones. Great big black butterflies 
stencilled on a yellow cambric or on an organdie gown would 
be most bewitching, and as for yellow, blue, gold, or silver 
butterflies on a black organdie, why, such a costume, with 
care and taste, could easily reach the pinnacle of exquisite- 

142 



STENCIL-WORK 



ness! Figs, i and 2 are simple but effective designs. Fig. 
3 is for work in two colors. 

The Outfit 

The stencilling outfit is inexpensive, and therefore can be 
made to meet the requirements of any small purse. There 






Fig.t 




Fig. 2 



a^-^*#*>S5aK &3 *^^^ O 









Ml t 
^1^ ^ 




•>.k* 



V 



Fig. 3 






seas 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



are various kinds of stencils. Stencils may be simple, in 
single form for one color. There is also the stencil cut for 
two or more colors. The double stencil has two parts to 
each stencil, and the complicated stencil is made to take 
several colors. 

Stencil Ctitting 

1. Procure a heavy quality of Manila paper, and thereon 
make your design ; coat it with linseed oil, and allow it to dry. 

2. Lay a square of soft cloth on the table. On it place 
a piece of plate glass; eighteen by eighteen inches is a 
handy size. 

3. Place the dry paper on the glass, and start to cut it, 
bearing in mind the following points: (a) not to cut the 
lines any longer than the drawing shows, or the stencil will 
be materially weakened; (b) that the cutting is a wrist 
movement, therefore you should hold the knife just as 
loosely as you would a pencil, using the point only. When 
possible, cut each curved line with one sweep of the knife 
and all straight lines without a ruler. 

4. When the stencil is finished, coat it on both sides with 
shellac, a process which will stiffen the pattern, at the same 
time adding to its durability, and permitting of its being 
washed with cold water when the stencil is stained. 

The stencil-knife generally used is about ^ve inches long. 
It is composed of a wooden handle with a slit, in which you 
place the steel blade, and there is a brass ferrule to hold the 
combination in place. The paint used is the ordinary oil 
paint in tubes. The brushes, paper, oil, and shellac are to 
be bought at any shop where artists* supplies are sold. 

144 



STENCIL. WORK 



As to the plate glass, ask the glazier for a piece of broken 
or scratched window-pane, which will serve the purpose 
admirably. 

The Process 

For stencilling the pattern on the material : 

1. Lay the material on the kitchen table or on a drawing- 
board, and with small pins secure the stencil in place. 

2. Prepare the color on a glass slab, bearing in mind 
that, should you be working on light-colored material, you 
must thin the transparent paint with turpentine or gaso- 
lene, whereas, for instance, should the material be a dark 
velours, it is necessary to mix white with the paint to en- 
able the color to show on the dark background. 

3. Fill well the stencil-brush with color, yet not allowing 
an overflow. Then experiment with the brush on a piece 
of paper, to see if the paint be well worked into it. If not 
overcharged with color, proceed to rub the brush over the 
stencil with a light, circular motion until each opening is 
well and evenly covered with color. 

4. Remove the pins and carefully lift the stencil. If 
using a two-colored stencil prepare the next tone, and, 
when the first color has dried, proceed as before. 

Some Suggestive Designs 

The designs here shown were developed on the popular 
cotton crepe, which may be purchased from twelve and a 
half cents up, in white or delicate colors, at any of the dry- 
goods stores. 

MS 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



The material is particularly suitable for this purpose, as 
its soft wrinkled surface takes the paint beautifully; and 
as it requires no starch or ironing, it is only the work of a 
few minutes to rinse them out as often as is necessary, 
for perfect freshness is essential. They would be equally 
pleasing developed on scrim, cheese-cloth, or unbleached 
muslin — the last named is effective and hangs well, but is 
more difficult to launder. 

Fig. 4 illustrates a particularly attractive scarf. The di- 
mensions may, of course, be varied, but eighteen by forty- 
five inches is a standard size to choose for a table. 

In this instance two shades of blue were the colors chosen, 
the central fleur-de-lis form being tinted quite dark, the rest 
lighter. The small, spear-like figures on the sides are re- 
peated till they nearly meet one another, and in the centre 
of the scarf an extremely pretty oblong design is formed 
by placing two of the large figures end to end. This does 
not appear in the cut, but is particularly effective. Shade 
the little spears with the dark blue. Hem and finish with 
white cotton fringe. 

Fig. 5 shows how nicely the same stencils may be adapted 
to decorate a pillow. Fold the material in quarters and 
crease, stick a pin through the centre of the stencil-marker 
into the centre of the goods, and repeat four times at right 
angles, as shown, arranging the border separately accord- 
ing to the size desired. Tint some bits of the same material 
in the prevailing color, and cover four big button-moulds as 
a finish for the comers. Arrange the back in two parts 
with buttons and buttonholes so that the pillow may read- 
ily be removed for laundering ; sew up and turn ; push the 




Fig. 5 




h 4 



Fig. 7 



Fig. 6 



STENCIL DESIGNS 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



four comers in, draw the edges together, and sew the but- 
tons in place. 

The dogwood design is a very effective one, and extremely 
adaptable, as the triangular blocks may be fitted together 
in an infinite variety of ways. 

Fig. 6 is a suggestion for a bedspread, which would be 
charming made of the crepe joined together with strips of 
narrow Cluny insertion. The full width could be used for 
the centre, bordered with two or more bands (according to 
the size desired) mitred at the comers and joined together 
with insertion. Finish the outer band with wide hem or 
lace edge. Arrange the dogwood design as shown, forming 
a border all around, or arrange in groups at the comers and 
sides — the latter arrangement would be more simple, as it 
would make careful calculation as to the repeat unneces- 
sary. An oblong block of the same design would be very 
effective tinted in the centre, using eight or more repeats 
according to the size desired. 

Fig. 7 shows the same design arranged on a scarf, the ends 
finished with a wide hem instead of the fringe. In the ex- 
ample shown the flowers were tinted in a very dull light 
catawba and the leaves in olive-green. Another pretty 
combination would be a more conventional one, dull yellow 
flowers and brown leaves, touched with green at the tips 
if desired. The centre of the flower may be made a third 
color or the same tone as the leaves. 

To avoid any danger of smearing one part of the design 
with the color of another, have several pieces of smooth 
cardboard on hand to lay over the unused openings, holding 
it in place with the irons or the fingers while tinting. 

14S 



STENCIL-WORK 



The alder design here illustrated (Fig. 8) was developed 
in brown with dull yellow pendants. The diamond-shaped 
dots on the pendants should be tinted in burnt sienna or 
the olive-brown of the stems. These dots require a second 




Fig. 8 

stencil, which is so arranged that it may very readily be 
fitted on after the rest of the design is finished. 

In this instance three separate motifs were used for the 

149 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



bottom, top, and sides, giving the all-around-border effect 
so generally used in France; while the effect is excellent, it 
would probably be better for the novice to be content to 
choose only one motif, repeating it all around, or at bottom 
and sides. Be very careful about getting your spacing 
even before commencing work, and, having ascertained the 
centre of each space, place the notches of the stencil pat- 
tern on it. 



Chapter XV 

CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

THE girl on whom nature has bestowed the natural 
talent and liking for art-work will find clay-modelling 
a fascinating and pleasing branch to follow. 

To become an expert modeller, and finally a sculptor, 
requires years of patience and perseverance, but to copy 
simple objects in clay is not a difficult matter, and with 
some clay, a few tools, and the skeletons, or supports, the 
amateur should not meet with any great obstacle if the 
following descriptions and instructions are accepted and 
practised. 

Very few tools are necessary at the beginning, and Nos. 
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, lo, and rr, shown in Fig. i, are a full 
complement for any beginner. The first four are wire tools, 
made of spring-steel or brass wire, about which fine wire is 
wrapped. The ends of the wires are securely bound to the 
end of a round wooden handle, and sometimes, for conven- 
ience, two ends are made fast to a single handle. These 
tools are called "double-enders," and are used in roughing 
out the clay in the first stages of the work. No. 5 is a box- 
wood tool with one serrated edge, and is used for finishing. 
The tools shown in Nos. 6 and 7 are of steel, and are of use 

151 




Fig.l 

THE TOOLS 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

on plaster, where others would not be sufficiently durable. 
Nos. 8, 9, ro, and ii are boxwood tools, a wire loop being 
fastened in the end of No. 9. Any of these tools can be 
purchased at an art-material store for a few cents each, 
except the steel tools, which are more expensive. 

A stand, or pedestal, will be necessary on which to place 
the clay model, unless perhaps it should be a medallion, 
which may be worked over on a table. 

Fig. 2 is a stand that can be made from a few pieces of 
pine two inches square and a top board one and a half 
inches in thickness. It is arranged with a central shaft 
that may be raised or lowered, and to the top of which a 
platform is securely attached. 

The movable shaft should have some holes bored through 
it from side to side, through which a small iron pin may be 
adjusted to hold the platform at a desired height. Clay 
can be purchased at the art stores by the pound, or in the 
country a very good quality of light, slate-colored clay may 
sometimes be found along the edges of brooks or in swampy 
places where running water has washed away the dirt and 
gravel, leaving a clear deposit of clay of the consistency of 
putty. 

Supports which the clay models are built upon can be 
made of wood and wire, as the requirements necessitate. 
That for the head is shown in Fig. 3. Nearly every clay 
model of any size will need some support, as clay is heavy 
and settles, and if not properly supported will soon become 
distorted and the composition spoiled. You will also need 
some old soft cloths that can be applied wet to the clay, a 
pair of calipers, and a small trowel or spatula. 

153 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



The Technique of the Art 

To model well the art of drawing is indispensable. The 
art of wood-carving is also a valuable one to the clay- 
modeller, but care must be taken when making any casts of 




Fig. 2 

wood-carving to use glue moulds; otherwise the carving 
would become firmly embedded in a plaster mould, due to 
the undercut in the carved ornament. To begin with, 
choose some simple object to copy, such as a vase or some 

154 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

small ornament ; then, when a satisfactory result has been 
obtained, select something a trifle more difficult, such as 
a hand or foot. 

When copying a head, obtain a bust-support on which to 
work the clay. A very simple and strong one can be made 
from a piece of board, two sticks, and a short piece of pipe 
wired to the top end of the upright stick (Fig. 3). 

To carry out the proportions of a bust similar to Fig. 6, 
the clay should be packed about the support much after 
the manner shown in Fig. 4. This will support the clay. 

With a lump of clay and the fingers form the general out- 
line, as shown in Fig. 4, for the head; then, with the wire 
tools, begin to work away the clay in places, so as to follow 
the lines of the model. With the calipers measurements 
may be taken from the plaster head and used advanta- 
geously in the building up of the clay model. Turn the 
plaster model and clay copy occasionally, so that all sides 
may be presented and closely followed in line and detail. 
Fig. 5 shows the next stage, and Fig. 6 the completed 
head. 

Modelling differs from drawing and painting in that every 
side of the model is visible, while only the face of the paint- 
ing is presented to the eye, the impression of form and out- 
line being worked out on a flat surface. 

Having successfully mastered the head, next attempt a 
foot from a plaster cast. Afterward a more elaborate sub- 
ject, such as a whole figure, can be tried. 

With the wire modelling-tools and the fingers begin to 
work away the clay to obtain the general outline and form ; 
continue this in a rough manner, until a perfect composi- 

155 



^ HANDY-BOOK FOR QIRLS 

tion is obtained that compares favorably with the original 
model; the finishing-touches may then be applied, and the 
detail worked up more carefully. 

Never complete one part and leave the remaining ones 
until later; always work up the model uniformly, adding 




a little here and there, or taking away, as may be neces- 
sary, and so developing the whole composition gradually. 

Moisten the clay occasionally with water sprayed on 
with a small watering-pot or a greenhouse sprinkler, to 

156 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

keep it soft and ductile. When not being worked upon it 
should be covered with wet cloths, to keep it moist. 

As the work progresses the clay may be allowed to harden 
and consolidate, but not to dry; if allowed to dry entirely 
the model may be considered ruined, as the shrinkage of the 
clay around the support results in fissures and fractures that 
cannot be repaired. 

By the time the amateur has acquired the knowledge to 
attempt a full-size figure he will be able to invent the de- 
vices to support it. 

The support, or skeleton, must of course be adapted to 
line with the pose of the figure, and should be of pipe 
and heavy wire or rods securely anchored to the base- 
plate. 

The composition of flowers, fruit, foliage, animal life, and 
landscape is an inexhaustible one, and some beautiful effects 
can be had in flat-work. Good examples of this character 
of work may be found on all sides, and to the genius the 
field of modelling is a broad one— without limit. 

GIkc and Gelatine Moulds 

When casting from hands, feet, or ornaments where under- 
cut predominates, the most successful mode is in the use of 
gelatine or glue. 

To cast a head similar to the one shown in Fig. 6 it will 
be necessary to make a box frame large enough to hold the 
head. 

The cast is to be well oiled, and down the front and back, 
running around under and back over the base block, strong 

157 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



linen threads are to be stuck on with oil. Warm glue or 
gelatine is then poured in the box and left to chill and 
solidify. 

When sufficiently cold the frame may be removed, leav- 
ing the solid block of glue like hard jelly; then the ends 
of the threads are to be grasped and torn through the 
gelatine, thus separating it in two or three parts. The 
plaster head may then be removed, and the mould put to- 
gether again and surrounded by the frame to hold it in 
place. 

To make a plaster head this plaster of Paris may be poured 
into the mould and left for a while, when, on removing the 
frame and taking the glue mould away, a perfect repro- 
duction of the original head will be found. 

Modelling a Foot 

To model a foot from a plaster cast, as shown in Fig. 7, 
it will be necessary to lay or putty up the form in the rough, 
as suggested for the bust in Fig. 4. Now rough out the 
form with the modelling-tools, so that it will appear as 
shown in Fig. 8. A frame, or support, should be made from 
a block and a stout piece of wire, as shown in Fig. 9, so that 
the mass of clay, particularly that at the back of the foot, 
will not settle. 

For full-length figures it is always necessary to construct 
a frame after a rough front and profile drawing has been 
made. With this drawing in sight, it will then be a com- 
paratively simple matter to construct a wire or iron pipe 
frame such as that pictured in Fig. 10. 

158 



CLAY-MODELLING AND' PLASTER-CASTING 




iT\(h^<^ 




Bas-Relief Modelling 



Bas-relief work is another interesting department of clay- 
modelling. This is one-sided in its effect, and the full, 
rounded appearance of the statue or bust is reduced to a 
more flattened form with lower relief. A familiar example 
of bas-relief is the head on a silver dollar, or the raised orna- 
ment on silverware and pottery. Let us now begin with 
the group of pears and leaves illustrated in Fig. rr. 

A small block or piece of wood is treated to a coat of 
shellac or paint ; then the clay is puttied on to roughly form 
the parts in the group. With the modelling- tools the out- 
line and form is gradually worked out; then the surfaces 
are smoothed down, and the few little artistic touches given 
here and there to lend life and character. 

Bas-reliefs can, of course, be cast any size, and from the 

159 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



original plaster mould many duplicates in composition or 
papier-mache may be made. 

Garlands, festoons, sunbursts, panel ornaments, and car- 
touches can be modelled in clay, and afterward cast for 
architectural features in interior decoration. A good ex- 
ample of the garland is shown in Fig. 12. 

A Medallion Head 

After some experience in casting ornaments in bas-relief 
has been obtained, it would be well to try a head or bust. 
A simple method of doing this is to take an ordinary school 
slate and make the outline of a head on it. Within this 
outline you build up roughly with your finger and thumb 
a cake of clay about half an inch in thickness; then with 
your modelling instruments work it up as accurately as 
your artistic skill will permit (see Fig. 13). 

When in the progress of your work you find it necessary 
to leave it for a short time, be careful to cover it over with 
a wet cloth, and if for a long time, put two wet cloths over 
it, and cover them in turn with a sheet of newspaper. This 
is necessary to keep the clay from getting hard and unfit 
for working. If at any time you find the clay getting too 
stiff, sprinkle it with water shaken from a whisk-broom. 
To make the moulds of your clay model you will require a 
little plaster of Paris, some lard oil, and some soap, and 
then your outfit is complete. 

When your clay medallion is finished, build a wall of clay 
around it of about an inch and a quarter in height, as shown 
in Fig. 13; then get a teacupful of lard or olive oil, and 

160 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 



add to it a good teaspoonful of any kind of soap scraped 
fine. Put this on the stove and stir until it is thoroughly 
mixed ; then with a soft camel's-hair brush lay a slight coat 
over your entire work. 











HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



You must now mix your plaster. If the surface of 3^our 
medallion is, say, one foot by six inches, you will require 
about two pounds of plaster to about a quart of water. 
Sprinkle the plaster into the water, and then watch it until 
bubbles have ceased to come to the surface. When no 
more bubbles appear, stir it up well with a stick. The mixt- 
ure should be about the consistency of thick cream. The 
exact proportions you must find out by experiment. This 
plaster cream you pour quickly over your medallion, blow- 
ing gently with your mouth on the fluid as it spreads itself 
over the face of your work ; this is to prevent the formation 
of bubbles. In a short time the plaster will become hard; 
you then remove your clay wall, and lift the plaster mould, 
or matrix, from the clay. This you do by passing a pen- 
knife all round between the plaster and the slate, after 
which it lifts easily. You have now a perfect plaster mould. 
If you find any small particles of clay adhering to it, wash 
them off with a soft camel's-hair brush and water. 

You now want to get a plaster cast from your matrix. 
To do this you lay a coat of the soap-and-oil mixture w4th 
a camel's-hair brush all over the face of the mould, and 
then pour in the plaster just as you did before, taking the 
same precautions to blow upon the plaster and to build a 
wall of clay around the mould. 

You let this stand for half an hour until it is perfectly 
set, when you can remove your casting by passing a thin- 
bladed knife all round between the matri'x and the casting. 
If it does not then lift easily, plunge the whole thing in 
water for an instant, after which you will have no difficulty 
in separating the two parts. 

162 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

You now have a plaster cast of your original work, which 
you can touch up and finish off with sand-paper, or with 
the blade of a penknife if necessary. 

You can, of course, make as many casts as you please 
from your mould, and thus have very pretty little souvenirs 
to present to your friends. 

Coin and Metal Casts 

This same procedure may be employed when making 
moulds and casts from coins, medals, and medallions. A 
narrow frame is made of wood, and at the middle of this a 
medal is placed on the flat oiled surface of a board, a slate, 
or a piece of marble, as shown in Fig. 14. The face of the 
object is now prepared with the oil, and the plaster is poured 
as previously described. If any number of reproductions 
are to be cast from the mould, it would be well to give it 
one or two coats of thin shellac; then oil it before each 
cast is made. 

Plaster-Casting in General 

It is not a difficult matter to reproduce in plaster almost 
any object that has no undercut or parts that will not easily 
detach from a mould. When making them, the first thing 
to do is to get a piece of board about a foot square ; that is 
to work on, so as not to soil the table. Then you want a 
lump of clay about as big as a football, five or six pounds 
of plaster of Paris — it only costs three cents a pound — and 
a half-dozen wooden pegs. You also want a cup of warm, 

163 




Fig. f7 

MEDALLION AND PLAIN CASTING 



CLAY-MODELLING AND PLASTER-CASTING 

melted lard, or Castile soap dissolved in hot water, to rub 
over what you are going to copy, so as to prevent the plaster 
sticking to it. 

Now, suppose it is an egg you want to copy. You rub it 
all over with your melted lard, and lay it down on the piece 
of board. Pack clay around it as high up as the middle of 
the egg, and as far out as half an inch from the widest part. 
You must be particular about not putting clay higher than 
the middle, because, if you get the clay too high, you can't 
get the egg out without breaking the mould. 

When you have the clay around the lower half of the 
model, smooth and level it, and push two pegs in opposite 
comers, as shown in Fig. 15. Now around the whole thing 
make a box or case of clay, with sides rising half an inch 
higher than the model (Fig. 16). Mix plaster of Paris and 
water together till you have it like molasses on a warm day ; 
pour that into the clay box, so that the model is covered 
and the mixture even with the top of the box. 

The plaster will set, or become hard, in a little while, and 
you then tear the box away and take out the model and 
plaster together, leaving the first clay mould. Next put 
the plaster mould and model in a clay box just as you did 
before, and pour plaster over it, first greasing the model and 
upper surface of the mould. Before pouring on the plaster, 
roll a small piece of clay in your fingers, and put it on the 
model (Fig. 17), so that when you pour plaster over it a 
hole will be left in it through which you may pour plaster 
for the final cast. 

For the second time tear away the clay box and gently 
separate the two parts of plaster of Paris; take the model 

165 




Fig. t9 

PLASTER CASTING IN QENERAL 



CLAY-MOGfiLLtNG AND PLASTER-CAStING 

out, and you will have two blocks of plaster, which, when 
brought together, will contain an exact mould of the model 
(Fig. i8), and one block will have an opening in it through 
which you can pour plaster. Before pouring in the plaster, 
however, be sure to grease the insides of the mould. Then 
put the parts together, using the pegs and holes as guides 
to a proper fitting, and tie firmly with a piece of twine. 
Now pour the plaster in, and then shake the mould gently 
in order to make the mixture settle in all the smaller crevices. 
Of course, when you separate the parts of the mould now 
you will have a perfect cast of your mpidel. It will have a 
thin ridge running around it where the mould was joined, 
but that is easily rubbed off with sand-paper. 

Making a Casting of a Hand 

In a mould made from a hand you proceed in about the 
same way. The great thing is to find the dividing line in the 
model — that is, the place where the parts of the mould ought 
to join. In the egg it is easy enough, for you can divide 
it into two equal parts ; but you take a hand, and you have 
to make the line around each finger just where it is broadest 
(Fig. 19) , and build the clay up to that line. The wrist-hole 
in a hand-mpuld makes a good hole to pour the plaster in 
(Fig. 20), and, after all, a hand is easy to make. 

These simple directions should make it easy for the 
amateur modeller to acquire the first principles of the art. 
There are several good compositions in which the young 
craftsman can work besides plaster of Paris, such as *'kiln 
cement," '^carton-pierre," "papier-mache," "plaster com- 
pounds," "artificial marble," and "concrete." 

167 



Chapter XVI 

PYROGRAPHY 

PYROGRAPHY, or fire-etching, is by no means a mod- 
em art, but one that was practised many centuries 
ago both in civilized and barbarous countries. In Europe, 
during the early ages, this work was executed with a poker 
inserted in the fire and heated red hot; but, as the iron must 
have cooled quickly, the task of embellishing a panel was 
a tedious and laborious one. 

A knowledge of drawing will be very helpful to the 
young pyrographer, as the object can be sketched in lead- 
pencil and followed with the heated iron or platinum-point. 

Of the various materials that may be used on which to 
etch the ornament, wood and leather have been found the 
most satisfactory, since they retain the deep, rich brown- 
and-black tones given by the heated iron, and yield more 
readily under the tool than other materials. 

If wood is employed, such as oak, birch, maple, holly, and 
cherry, it should be selected with a pretty grain and as free 
from knots as possible ; but if leather is used, a good quality 
of oak-tanned sole-leather will give the best results; al- 
though for light work a pleasing effect can be had by em- 
ploying a stout Suede and etching on the rough side. 

i68 



PYROGRAPHY 




Fig.t 




Fig. 2 

The Tools 

The etching- tools are few and simple, and are shown in 
the illustrations. 

Fig. I depicts a set of irons that can be made from pieces 
of round iron a quarter of an inch in diameter and having 
the points fashioned with a file. The ends of the irons can 
be inserted in file-handles that may be purchased at a 
hardware store for a few cents each. 

169 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



A is a sharp-pointed iron for outlining; B is a round- 
pointed one for broader work; C is a stub for bold work, 
and measures three-eighths of an inch in diameter; D is a 
curved background tool, and -is used for burning in the 
grounds, or shading, in order to make the design stand out 
boldly. 

With these tools and a spirit-lamp and rest, such as is 
shown in Fig. 2, some very good work can be done; and to 
complete the set a sharp-edged eraser may be added to 
scrape away the wood, if perchance it should have been 
touched by mistake with a hot iron. 



The Method of Working 

To begin with, it is best to carry out a simple design — to 
decorate a panel, a drawer front, or the sides to a small 
wooden box. The pattern must first be drawn out in full 
size on a piece of smooth, brown paper, and then transferred 
to the face of the wood by the use of colored or black trans- 
fer-paper, sheets of which can be had at an art or stationery 
store for a few cents each. 

To reproduce the design, lay the transfer-paper face down 
on the wood, and over it the drawing, face up; pin it fast, 
and go over all the lines with a lead-pencil, bearing down 
to irnpress them on the face of the wood. Having gone over 
all the lines, unpin one comer and raise both sheets of paper 
to see that the impression is good. If not, replace the paper 
and redraw the faint or unmarked lines. 

Fig. 3 is a simple and attractive design for the embellish- 

170 



PYROGRAPHY 



ment of a panel, of a small drawer, or as one of the sides of 
a box. 

If the tools shown in Fig. r are used, fill the spirit-lamp 
half full of alcohol and light it, then place the pointed iron 
A on the rest in such a position that the point will be en- 
veloped by the blue flame, where, after remaining, a minute, 
it will become red hot. Remove it and trace the lines in the 
wood with the hot point until all of them have been gone 
over, and as a result the wood will have the appearance of 
Fig. 4. The iron will necessarily require reheating contin- 
ually, and to save time it would be well to have two or 
three irons of each shape, as they cost but a few cents, and 
are easy to make. 

After the outlining has been done, the background should 
be burned in with the curved iron D. Fig. 5 illustrates the 
manner in which this may be accomplished; the left side 
is partly finished, and shows the simple and effective mode 
of lining or ''dragging" the ground. The right side is. a 
finished ground, where the cross-strokes may be seen with 
an occasional oblique stroke to lend added density. It is 
not always possible to complete a ground until the orna- 
ment is shaded, and what may seem to be a finished back- 
ground before the shading will sometimes afterward prove 
too weak or flat, and will necessarily require going over m 
places to strengthen and darken it. 

Fig. 6 is a piece of finished work where the ornament is 
shaded to give it character, and where also the background 
has been retouched in some places to give it a stronger feel- 
ing. This illustration is a good example of pyrography, and 
gives the relative tones of high light and shadow. 

171 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Experimental "Work 

Before beginning on an ornamental piece of work, it would 
be well to practise on clear pine or white-wood, and to be- 
come dexterous in the use and manipulation of the tools, 
and to find the ones best adapted to certain kinds of work. 




Fig. 3 




Fig* 4 



The round-pointed tools B and C, shown in Fig. i, are good 
grounders, and where large work and bold patterns are car- 
ried out they will be found of use. 

As some very fine work is possible in fire-etching, the art 

172 



PYROGRAPHY 



can be applied in many ways to decorate pieces of useful 
and ornamental furniture about the house. 

Charming pictures can be produced on holly and white 
mahogany; designs of fruit and flowers and conventional 
patterns may be applied to panels, tables, screens, frames, 
glove and handkerchief boxes ; and on maple bedroom fumi- 




Fig.5 




Fig. 6 

ture designs in pyrography lend a pleasing and artistic ap- 
pearance. 

Practical Hints 

When working on leather do not cut out the form until 
after the work is finished, but pin the material flat on 

173 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



a board to hold it firmly while operating with the hot 
irons. 

The entire design should be drawn on the face of the 
leather with a soft lead-pencil, and afterward gone over 
with the burning-points. When the work is completed the 
piece of leather should be removed from the board and the 
outline cut with a sharp penknife or a pair of scissors. 

The Varnish Finish 

It may be desirable to varnish and polish some specimens, 
and it is possible to do so by coating the surface with a thin 
spirit varnish or thin furniture polish. This will bring out 
the density of the burnt lines, and enrich a design that on 
certain woods might seem fiat. Too much varnish must be 
avoided, and only a very thin coat will be necessary to ob- 
tain the desired result. 

The Practice of Pyrography 

In preference to the hand-made irons, which must be 
heated each time before using, the modern devotees of the 
fire-etching art use the gasolene lamp and platinum-point 
apparatus. These outfits may be purchased at the art shops 
for a comparatively small sum. 

Basswood, deal, and white-wood are the material most 
commonly employed, since the grain is close and the color 
even. Small picture-frames can be made from one piece 
of wood, but they are better, and will last longer, if made 
from two pieces. For a small round frame a pretty pattern 

174 



PYROGRAPHY 



is shown in Fig. 7. This can be made from six to twelve 
inches in diameter, and the frame proper should be from 
two to four inches wide, having an opening for the picture 
from two to four inches in diameter. The easiest w^ay to 
make a frame is in two pieces, as shown in Fig. 8, the 
left side representing a narrow frame and the right a 
wider one. 

From holly or basswood one-eighth or one-quarter of an 
inch thick cut a disk six inches in diameter, and at the 




flG-. W 



T\Qr. it 



TIG-. ^ 



middle cut an opening three inches in diameter. Strike 
the circle with a compass; then use a fret-saw to do the 
cutting. From pine or white-wood half an inch in thick- 
ness cut a disk five and a half inches iii diarneter alid at the 
middle a hole four inches in diameter. Lay the thin disk 
down on a table, and after applying glue to one surface of 
the smaller but thicker disk place it, glue-side down, on the 
larger disk, takitig cat? to have the graiti of the two pieces 

175 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



run in opposite directions. See that the disks are adjusted 
so that one is centred directly over the other; then impose 
a piece of board on top of the frame, and put fifteen or 
twenty pounds of flat-irons or other heavy weights on the 
board to press the two wood pieces together. Leave them 
for several hours; then remove the weights and clean off 
the- hard glue that may have oozed out from between the 
disks. Give the back of the frame two coats of shellac to 
prevent the wood from absorbing moisture, and it will then 
be ready for the design and the pyrographic ornamentation. 
By using the two pieces of wood, a rabbet is thereby formed 
for the glass and picture. If the frame had been made from 
one piece it would have necessitated the cutting of a rabbet. 

Leather-Work 

When embellishing leather, select the quality that is best 
adapted to pyrography. It must not be too thin, as the 
hot point would quickly perforate and cut it. Cowhide, 
Suede, calf, sheepskin, heavy kids, and binding leathers 
are best adapted to this work. Purses, bags, mats, boxes, 
travelling-rolls, and valises are made in leathers that are 
admirably adapted to pyrography, and these should be pur- 
chased rather than made, for leather- working is a craft that 
would not interest the average girl. ^ 

A heraldic pattern for a small pigskin or cowhide purse 
is shown in Fig. 9, and Figs, ro and 11 are designs adapted 
to different kinds of purses, wallets, and bill-books. It is^ 
of course, impossible to lay down any specific sizes for these 
patterns, as the sizes of leather goods vary. 

176 



PYROGRAPHY 



To improve the appearance of floral patterns, it is de- 
sirable to tint or stain flowers, leaves, berries, and stems in 
their natural colors. This can be done on the unfinished 
wood, either before or after the outlines and background 
are burned. Oil or aniline stains may be used for this pur- 
pose. If a dead finish is desired, the wood can be left 
without further treatment, except for a thin coat of bees- 
wax and turpentine. If a glossy finish is preferred, the 
wood must be treated to several thin coats of white shellac ; 
then a finishing coat of white dammar-varnish is applied 
and left to dry for several days. The inside of boxes 
should be *' grounded" and shellacked, and at the top and 
bottom pads made of card-board, cotton-filling, and silk 
should be glued fast. 



Chapter XVII 

CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES 

THE artistic leaded-glass lamp-shades are a thing of 
beauty and a joy forever, but so many of us m^y only 
go to look and admire, that these few suggestions as to mak- 
ing a very good substitute may be welcomed by the girl 
with clever fingers. 

The designs are many and varied — from the conventional 
flower and butterflies to the uneven stained-glass effects. 
The Empire shape of the designs shown adapts itseli most 
readily to this style of shade, of course the size varying to 
suit the fancy of the maker. A little variety may be given, 
if desired, by extending the design a little below the edges 
of the shade, as, for instance, a design like the spray of 
wistaria, to be continued about an inch below the edge, at 
irregular intervals (Fig. i). Another effective design is to 
have the flowers begin at the lower edge of the shade, and 
leaves and all to extend upward instead of downward. The 
flower part of the design could extend a little below the 
edge, stems and leaves, of course, beginning at the edge of 
the shade, the irregular part being placed in this case at 
the top. 

The making of these shades is not at all difficult, only 

178 



CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES 



care inust be taken to have a very sharp knife to make a 
clean-cut edge for the cut-out part, and to make the lamp- 
shade the same width all around, else it will not be straight 




Fig.t 

when on the lamp. A good way to judge if it is even is, 
after it is cut out, to fasten the two ends together as it will 
be when finished, and put it on a perfectly smooth surface, 
such as the top of a table. If it touches evenly all the way 
around, all is well. 

The Materials 

The materials required for the making of one of these 
lamp-shades are a piece of heavy white water-color paper, 
size twenty-five by nineteen inches, a piece of white taffeta 
silk the same size, a bottle of black water-proof India ink, 
a box of water-color paints, and a bottle of mucilage. For 
the large size, cut out from the paper (the shape indicated 
in the detail) a shade measuring eight inches in depth all 
the way around — that is, from top to bottom — the lower 

179 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



edge forty-seven inches around, the upper, seventeen and 
a half inches. For a small table-lamp, make the shade 
smaller in proportion, taking an inch and a half from the 
lower edge, and three inches from each end. The dimen- 
sions are given in Fig. 2. 

Marking and Cutting Ottt 

When the design has been decided upon, mark it care- 
fully with a sharp-pointed and rather soft pencil, on a piece 
of tracing-paper the size of the shade. Lay this on the 



t 



iKii-i- 



j^i'/l, 






-T 






.V?^'"'- 



\ 



Fiff.2 



CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES 

water-color paper, pencil side down, and trace over every 
line of the design. When this is done, go over the pencil 
lines, on the shade, with ink, to prevent rubbing. Now 
cut out with a sharp knife the markings as indicated in the 
detail by dotted lines in Fig. 2. As you will readily see in 
Fig. 3, there is always a black line around the flowers, 




Fig, 3 

leaves, etc., which takes the place of the lead in the glass 
shades, giving support and outlining the design, so this 
must be always borne in mind when marking and cutting 
out. No matter how small the part to be cut out, it must 
have its outline the same width as the rest. An eighth 
of an inch is about the average size for the **lead," except 
where it is deeper, as indicated in the drawing. 

The inking of the outside comes next, and it should be 
seen that every particle of white showing from the outside 
is made black. Use a small camel' s-hair brush. The 
water-proof ink will not hurt the brush, as it easily washes 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



off. Care must be taken that all parts are an even black, 
as one is apt, when putting ink on with a brush, to make 
some places slightly lighter than others. Go over these 
parts a second time. 

When the ink is thoroughly dry, lay the shade, wrong 
side up, on a piece of brown paper, and cover all the parts 
with mucilage. When this is done, and it must be done 
rather rapidly to prevent the mucilage from drying, lay a 
piece of silk, which has first been cut out the exact size of 
the paper, on the mucilage-covered parts, and press gently 
all over with the tips of the fingers. Care must be taken 
that not enough mucilage has been put on to run over the 
edge, and yet enough to glue all parts securely. This must 
be left to get thoroughly dry before continuing. 

The Coloring 

The coloring is now put on with the water-colors, and as 
much depends on the shades used, keeping as much as pos- 
sible to the soft greens, lavenders, yellow^ etc., care must 
be taken to have the color perfectly clear and quite thin. 
As will be seen^ the effect of the light shining through must 
be taken into account, so colors should be used, as nearly 
as the design will allow, that are improved by the light 
shining through them. Green^ lavender, yellow, a soft 
shade of red — that is, not a purple-red— are all good colors. 
A hard blue should never be used, but a very bluish purple 
is good. One of the designs is wistaria, of two shades of 
lavender flowers and green leaves, stems of green, and all 
cut-out places, not the flowers and leaves, but the back- 

182 



CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES 

ground, a little deeper green than the rest. As will be seen, 
the leaves form the design for the upper part of the shade, 
and come between the sprays of the flowers on the lower 
part (Fig. 4). 

The Iris Design 

The design of the blue flag, or iris (Fig. 5) , with its green 
leaves and stems, is especially pretty. The flowers are of 
bluish lavender or purple, a little lighter, if possible, toward 



Fig. 4 













Tce'n leaves. 



the centre of the flower. The background is a very light 
yellowish green. This design is also effective using yellow 
jonquils instead of the blue flag, as the same leaves could 
be used, only changing the shape of the flowers. 

A Btitterfly Shade 

The butterfly lends itself to a very decorative design, and 
still the simplest of all (Fig. 6) . The butterfly is of a light 

183 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



red, the color being quite thin when put on. The two lower 
wings should be a trifle darker than the two upper ones. 
The body is a much deeper tone. The rest of the colored 
part of the shade is a soft green. The butterfly could also 




CANDLE And lamp shades 

be of yellow, which is quite as effective. Any ornamenta- 
tion on the wings could be put on in black if desired, but it 
rather detracts from the stained-glass effect. 

As has been said, the color should be quite thin in most 
instances, and put on with a very small camel's-hair brush. 
The shade is colored from the right side. 

It must be clearly decided where the different colors are 
to go before coloring, as it is not easy to rectify errors when 
once made. When the work is perfectly dry, place it fiat 
with the wrong side up, and paint with Chinese white all 
parts that are black on the right side, making a neat finish, 
and glue the two ends together. 

Candle-Shades 

Candle-shades that are effective and yet simple in design 
are pictured in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and suggest, when the candle is 
lighted, some of the effects of the artistic stained and leaded 
glass. White water-color paper, white taffeta silk, and a 
few water-colors are the materials used for these also. 

Mark out the candle-shade on the water-color paper. It 
is really a perfect half -circle, eleven and one-eighth inches 
in diameter. Cut out another half-circle three and five- 
eighths from the outer edge, and you will have the shape 
shown in the diagram. The shade when finished is two and 
a quarter inches in diameter at the top and five and three- 
quarters at the bottom. 

On a piece of tracing-paper mark out carefully, with a 
rather soft pencil, the design. As you work, many varia- 
tions in the designs will suggest themselves. Strive to 

185 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



keep them as simple as possible, always choose colors that 
harmonize, and bear in mind the effect of the light showing 
through when the candle is lighted. The water-colors in 
tinting the silk must be kept thin, and tried against the 
light. After the design is m^arked on one side of the trac- 
ing-paper, trace it on the other side or transfet* it with car- 
bon paper. Carry out the design on the shade with a 
pencil to make it distinct and perfect. Tracing-paper is 
used instead of marking the design directly on the shade, 
as the line is much more apt to be sharp and even. 

Catting the Design 

Cut out with a sharp knife, leaving the design as shown 
in the dotted lines of the detail. Color it as your fancy 
dictates, preference being given to black, gold, or silver 
outline. Cover the inside with liquid glue, and lay on the 
white silk, being cslreful to keep it perfectly sinooth. Wheti 
dry, cut the silk carefully from the edges. Care must be 
taken that all the little parts of the design are glued fast, 
as it mars the effect if there are any loose places. Mix the 
water-colors, and paint all the parts of silk to be seen, care 
being taken not to let the color run over on the outline. 
On the inside, paint over all the parts where the glue shows 
through, a thick coat of white. This makes a neat finish. 
If a design of flowers and leaves, the background could be 
in two tones, harmonizing with the color of the flowers, the 
outlining being black. 

The first candle-shade (Fig. 7) is in two tones of red and 
two of a light purple for the background r The leaves are a, 

i86 



CANDLE AND LAMP SHADES 

light and slightly darker green, and the oblong disks light 
yellow. This sounds like a rather abrupt contrast, but seen 
with the light shining through it gives a very pretty effect. 
The detail shows the distribution of colors. 

The second shade (Fig. 8) is in two tones of purple for 
the background, a light shade of green for the leaves, and 
gold outlining. 

The third shade (Fig. 9) is a grape design, with brown- 
ish-green leaves and black outlining. The grapes are three 
shades of purple, keeping them rather light; the leaves, a 
brownish green, some very light. The background is a very 
light yellowish brown. This will be found to tone well with 
the other colors. 



Chapter XVIII 

RAFFIA BASKETS 

THE baskets here illustrated are all made of raffia on a 
foundation of reed. In beginning any one of them it 
is advisable to use a coil of the raffia for the first few rows 
in place of the reed. It is perfectly flexible and easy to 
manage, and by this means a firm centre can be made with 
little trouble. After several rows have been completed, the 
reed should be inserted, the point having been previously 
sharpened so that it can be easily thrust into the coil of 
raffia. After a firm stitch or two has been taken, the raffia 
foundation can be cut away, leaving the reed to take its 
place. The beginnings for baskets in different stitches are 
here pictured, each one being ready to receive the reed. 
Example No. i (see Fig. i) shows the stitch vv^hich can be 
the most rapidly worked. The raffia is wrapped several 
times round the foundation, and then fastened with a tie 
or knotted stitch to the row beneath. The knojts make a 
pretty effect in the basket, and by varying the distance be- 
tween them a more or less open effect can be obtained. 
The baskets so made are dainty and light, yet strong. This 
is particularly true of the one shown in Fig. 2, which is suit- 
able for use as a card- tray. The color effect is most artistic, 



RAFFIA BASKETS 



being a scheme of yellow, green, and brown, admirably 
blended. After making four rows in the natural rafifia there 
come single rows of the colors in the following order : light 
yellow, brown, light green, deep yellow, dark green, brown, 
light green, light yellow. The border is of the colors, used 




Fig.t 

in the same sequence, the row forming the edge being of 
the dark green. Fig. 3 is a somewhat simpler basket, 
firmly worked. The broad rows of one color introduced 
in the bottom of the basket and as a border form the sole 
decoration. 

Details of Weaving 

A pretty open effect has been given in the sides and 
lid of this basket, a space as large as possible being left 
^3 189 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



between the rows. The bottom is, however, closely woven 
in the figure-of-eight stitch. This stitch is much used by 
the Indians, and it makes a very firm, strong basket. In 
the true figure-of-eight the stitch is taken alternately around 
the new row being made, and back around the row below. 
Where a new color is not being worked in, the stitch is 
often modified, the raffia being wrapped twice or thrice 
around the reed forming the new row, and then once around 
the row below. This stitch is used in all the other baskets 
here illustrated. 

A Quicker Stitch 

A third stitch is called the "lazy squaw." It prob- 
ably owes its name to the fact that it is an Indian stitch, 
much more quickly worked than is the figure-eight. In 
making it the rafiia is wrapped once round the reed, then 
passed through the row below, and brought over both rows. 
A long and a short stitch are thus formed. Each long stitch 
is sewn around the short stitch below, thus covering it. 
When it is necessary to increase the stitches as the circle 
grows larger, two long stitches are made together, and the 
needle passes between them in making the next row. Care 
must be exercised to make the stitches appear even, es- 
pecially in working in a new color to form a pattern of any 
kind. More than one of these stitches may be used in one 
basket with good result. 

As to Designs 

An example is shown in Fig. 4. This is the most 
original design of the series. The motive employed is 

190 




Fig. 2 







>'»!^„^!R»^,^v*o«<?«***~^ 



Fig. 3 




Fig. 5 



A SET OF RAFFIA-BASKETS 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the blackberry. On the lid six leaves in green are worked 
upon a background of the natural raffia. Set between 
them in a circle are three black, rounded forms and 
three red ones, intended to represent the ripe and unripe 
berries. A blossom is worked into the centre of the bot- 
tom of the basket. The borders of both lid and body of 
the basket are in the same colors, repeated in regular and 
irregular bands. The patterns used in the baskets in the 
other illustrations need no special explanation. The handle 
for the hanging-basket (Fig. 5) is woven. Five strands are 
used for the woof. Near the end these strands are separated, 
and, together with the weaving thread, made into two plaits, 
each terminated by a small tassel of fringed raffia. The 
basket for collars is simple and beautiful in shape and 
color. The pattern is in a russet brown on a natural raffia 
background. 



Chapter XIX 

HAND-WOVEN RUGS 

THE long - looked - for *' missing rug," appropriate for 
simple country houses and for the bedrooms of more 
elaborate houses, has arrived. A worthy but almost un- 
recognizable offspring of the old-fashioned hit-or-miss rag 
carpet, its adaptation to the crying need of the present 
generation for a simple, inexpensive, and, at the same 
time, artistic and durable substitute for the Oriental and 
its train of unworthy followers, has passed from the ex- 
perimental stage to one of assured success. 

The fact that new materials instead of the half-w^om 
clothing, sheets, blankets, etc., which went to make up the 
"hit or miss" masterpieces of our grandmothers, are now 
being used, and that the design and color are studied 
carefully in relation to the places in which the rugs are to 
be placed, has revolutionized the art — has, in fact, turned it 
from an industry into an art. The question of artistic 
effect, both in color and in weave, has become the point of 
supreme importance. While our ancestors sewed and wove 
their rags with a happy, care-free disregard of all save prac- 
ticability, glad indeed of a bit of bright color to give variety, 
but resigned to anything that would weave well, we con- 

193 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



sider our colors and the place they are to go first, and then 
bow to the disagreeable limitations of practicability, if bow 
we must. Since the cost of these rugs is comparatively 
slight, we can sometimes afford to shut our eyes to limita- 
tions of this sort, but we cannot afford to ignore the required 
artistic effect. 

Those of us who wish may have these rugs made to order 
by clever craftsmen from rags supplied by ourselves ; or, if we 
have the time and the taste, we may buy a loom and ex- 
periment for ourselves. The craftsman or decorator, backed 
by his dye-pots, his artistic eye for color, and his technical 
knowledge of weaving, can undoubtedly give us the most 
satisfactory results. He can make them of any shape, size, 
or design, and can adapt them to any color scheme. His 
artistic instincts will lead him to make experiments with 
materials of all kinds, and the results will be original as 
well as beautiful. 

The Loom in the Home 

Those who care to make their own experiments, however, 
will find it extremely interesting and agreeable as well as 
profitable. It is not difficult to obtain simple, practical 
results, and the work goes so rapidly that it never ceases to 
be fascinating. The cost of the loom and materials is com- 
paratively slight. Old looms may be found for five or ten 
dollars. They are as good as the new, although a little 
more cumbersome to handle, and requiring more house- 
room than it is sometimes convenient to give. The new 
ones may be bought for from twenty dollars up to a hun- 
dred. It is quite easy to learn the technical part of the 

194 



HAND-WOVEN RUGS 



work, and opportunities for instruction are given at in- 
numerable industrial schools, arts and crafts societies, etc. 
One may even find some of the old-country weavers who 
will gladly teach one the secrets of their craft. The warp- 
ing up is difficult, but the weaving itself is simple. The 
beginner will probably not dally with dyes and dye-pots. 
She will buy inexpensive cotton materials at about ten 
cents a yard, selecting her colors carefully with an eye to 
the final result, and will satisfy herself wit the warp in 
the colors in which it comes, without investigating too care- 
fully the fastness of the colors. She will obtain surprisingly 
good results in this simple way. However, since one of the 
practical beauties of these rugs should lie in the fact that 
they can be washed repeatedly, it is well to consider the 
color question from the practical as well as the artistic side. 
The darker rugs, used for living-rooms, halls, etc., will not 
need to be washed — at least no more than their companions, 
the Orientals — but the light rugs used for bedrooms and bath- 
rooms need it constantly. One should buy materials for 
them that at least have a reputation for fast color. When 
the dye-pots are resorted to, if the craftsmen are loyal to 
their ideals, only fast vegetable dyes are used, and these 
are carefully fixed and tested before the weaving begins. 

The Material 

Old materials, such as portieres, curtains, ingrain carpets, 
etc., may be used if they are in good condition and the colors 
are good, but as a general thing new materials are used. 
Ginghams, percales, prints, cotton flannels, chintzes, can- 

195 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



vas, chambreys, ticking, denim, etc., are worked up beauti- 
fully if the colors are carefully chosen. Ticking and denim 
are more durable than the thinner materials. Denim is es- 
pecially artistic in color, and is one of the satisfying ma- 
terials that can be ravelled on the edges so that the surface 
of the rug will be rough and artistic. Unbleach<^d cotton- 
cloth, cheese-cloth, canvas — anything in a light, neutral 
tint that will take color well — is used by the dyers, and 
transformed under their magic touch. 

The Colors 

The color effect depends more upon the warp than one 
would realize. The warp tones the colors. An ecru warp 
gives a soft, mellow tone to colors that might otherwise be 
crude. An indigo warp with a green filling and touches of 
the indigo in the figure and border is very effective; a 
brown warp with an old-blue filling and dashes of brown 
and dull yellovv^ in the border is very rich and beautiful; 
an ecru warp and an old-blue filling — a light brown warp 
and dark brown and yellow filling — all are harmonious and 
artistic. When materials are dyed, no effort is made to 
make the cloth take the color evenly, so that the effect of 
light and shade is unstudied and consequently unusually 
good. In weaving, although there is sometimes a definite 
design, frequently bits of harmonious color are introduced 
unevenly, especially in the borders. Indeed, the most 
artistic rugs are not those with an absolutely smooth sur- 
face and borders and designs mathematically arranged with 
hard outlines, A very good color rule is to introduce the 

196 



HAND-WOVEN RUGS 



warp color in the border or figure. Sharply contrasting 
colors should not be used in a rug, only those that blend and 
harmonize softly. An original artist will sometimes use 
very surprising material for his warp and filling as well. 
The final color effect is all that he considers. It is not un- 
usual to see coarse linen twine used for the warp, forming 
the fringe as well. The coarsely twisted twines are some- 
times used for the filling also. The effect is astonishingly 
artistic. 

Practical Hints 

In preparing materials for weaving, whether we are to 
do the actual weaving ourselves or hand the rags, when 
cut and wound, to an expert weaver, great care must be 
taken. The strips may be cut straight or on the bias. 
Those cut on the bias are more flexible and will make more 
flexible rugs. They should be about three-quarters of an 
inch wide, or a little less if the material is heavy. If the 
strips are not on the bias, it is easier to keep them exactly 
the same width by tearing instead of cutting. They must 
be sewed together very smoothly and firmly, so that there 
will be no bunches in the weaving. It is better to keep 
the colors on separate balls, without attempting to mix 
them. Striped and figured materials give very attractive 
results with borders of a plain material, but the plain ma- 
terial should be kept in a separate ball for the weaver to 
use as he pleases. The amount of material required for 
cotton or woollen rugs in a smooth weave is from one and 
a half to two pounds of rags for one square yard of weaving; 
for silk rugs or portieres, one pound for a square yard; for 

197 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



a roughly woven cotton or woollen rug, two to four 
pounds. 

The prices for weaving are as follows : When the weaver 
supplies all the materials and dyes them according to orders, 
two dollars per square yard; when she supplies nothing 
but the warp, and has all the material given to her, cut, 
sewed, and wound into balls ready for use, fifty cents a 
square yard; when the material is given to her unprepared, 
one dollar a yard ; when the material is given to her unpre- 
pared and she is expected to dye it as well as cut, sew, and. 
wind it, one dollar and a half a yard. 



Part III 
NEEDLEWORK AND MILLINERY 



Chapter XX 

SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

ON a bright, sunny morning three young girls were sitting 
around a table in the school -room of a pleasant, old- 
fashioned house. Each girl had a work-basket on the table 
in front of her, containing needles, scissors, thimble, cotton, 
and a tape-measure ; also a small blank-book and pencil, a 
marking- wheel, a paper of pins, and two yards and a half of 
white cambric. 

The young faces glanced eagerly at a clock on the mantel- 
piece that pointed to five minutes of nine, and then to the 
door, as the handle turned to admit a young woman, whom 
they greeted as Miss Cutting. It was easy to guess now 
what these young girls were gathered here for. They were 
about to begin a series of lessons in dressmaking, and the 
young woman who had just come in was their teacher. 

**0h, Miss Cutting," exclaimed the three girls, "we are 
so glad you have come; we want so much to begin our 
lesson!" 

"You are all very encouraging," answered Miss Cutting, 
smiling. "I hope your enthusiasm won't all evaporate be- 
fore the lesson is over." 

"Never fear," said Helen; "if Miss Cutting can't teach 
us to cut, I don't know who can." 

201 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



** Helen," said P'anny, "don't make bad puns, and don't 
be so rude to your teacher." 

"Oh," said Miss Cutting, "I do not think Helen rude. I 
have always thought it quite a delightful coincidence that 
my name should be so applicable to my employment. But 
suppose, now, we begin our lesson." 

The First Day's Lesson 

"Do tell me first, Miss Cutting," said Mary, '*what is this 
little wheel for? It looks like the thing Jane, our cook, 
marks the top of the pie-crust with." 

The girls all laughed, and Miss Cutting was also 
amused. 

"That is to trace the basting-lines on your patterns," she 
said. "You will find it very easy to use." 

There was a little hum of conversation for a moment, 
and then the chattering ceased, and three pairs of bright 
eyes were turned on Miss Cutting, who stood at the head of 
the table holding a tape-measure. 

How to Measure 

"The first thing to do," she said, "is to learn to take a 
person's measure, and to do this we must pair off in twos. 
I will take Helen's measure, and let her take mine, for the 
sake of practice; then Mary and Fanny can take each 
other's measure in turn. Before you begin, write down 
these items in your blank-books, leaving a small margin 
for the figures." 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 



Waist Measure 

Size of bust 
Size of waist 
Length of back 
Length of front 
Width of chest 



Sleeve Measure 

Whole length inside 
Length to elbow (inside) 
Elbow to wrist (outside) 
Size of arm 
Size of hand 



Skirt Measure 

Length in front 
Length in back 
Length over right hip 
Length over left hip 
Around hips, six inches 

below belt 
Size of belt 



Having told them this, Miss Cutting then took her tape- 
measure and passed it around Helen's figure, holding it 
close under the arms, and well up in the back, as seen in 
Fig. I. Helen's bust measure proved to be thirty inches. 
The waist measure was then taken by passing the tape 
tightly around Helen's waist. 

**Now,** said Miss Cutting, "we must find the length of 
her back. To do this, measure from the bone you will feel 
in the back of your neck to the end of your waist; and if 
at any time you are in doubt as to where your waist ends, 
get a second tape-measure and tie it around the waist — it 
will guide you in knowing just where the length of the back 
should end." 

*'What is this measure for?" said Mary. 

"It has several uses," answered Miss Cutting. "The 
chief one is to find the waist-line, which I will explain later, 
and its immediate use is to find out how long-waisted you 
are in the back. The 'length of front,' which comes next, is 
to ascertain how long-waisted you are in front. You have, 
of course, noticed, even without knowing anything of dress- 
making, how people vary in length from their necks to their 
waists." 

Miss Cutting then took her tape-measure, and, placing 

203 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



one end on the bone in the back of Helen's neck, she passed 
it over her shoulder and down the front to the waist (Fig. 2) . 
Mary and Fanny started to do the same thing, each in turn, 
when Mary exclaimed: 

''Fanny, are you trying to bore a hole in my neck?" 




Fig^ t Fig. 2 

"I have lost your bone," said Fanny, tragically, which 
made them all laugh, and brought Miss Cutting to the 
rescue. 

"Here it is," she said; "this small, promiiient bone right 
in the middle of the back of your neck and at the top of the 
spine. It serves as a starting-point to measure from, so is 
very useful. Now," she continued, "for the chest meas- 
ure. Pass the tape right across the chest to where the arm 
joins the shoulder, allowing it to be about three inches be- 
low the neck. This," said Miss Cutting, "ends the meas- 
ures for a waist. Some dressmakers use more measure- 
ments, but I find these all that are essential to insure a 
good fit. Our next step is to find the sleeve measure, and 
for this you take the whole length of the arm inside, meas- 

204 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

uring from the top of the arm to an imaginary line joining 
the bone on the outside of your wrist" (Fig. 3). 

**Must I have such a long sleeve?" said Mary. 

**No," answered Miss Cutting; "that is not necessary. 
The fashion in the length of a sleeve varies, but as we have 
to have some points from which to start and to end in 
taking a measure, the bone in the wrist is given as the end 
of the arm. After your sleeve is cut out and basted, you 
can either leave it long or cut it shorter, as you may 
desire." 

''Oh," said Helen, *'I see; and the bone in the back of 
the neck is for the same purpose." 

"Yes," replied Miss Cutting; "and now having found the 
length of the arm inside, we next measure the length of 
the arm to the elbow (inside) and then from the wrist to 
the elbow (outside) (Fig. 4), drawing a line between these 
two points. This line, which is called the 'elbow point,* 
is to show where to put the gathers that are at the elbow 
of nearly all sleeves. These gathers should run one inch 
above and one and a half inches below the elbow point. 
We now find the size of the arm, passing the tape around 
the fullest part (Fig. 5). Finally," said Miss Cutting, "we 
measure the hand right across the palm and over the 
knuckles where the hand is widest." 

"I suppose," said Fanny, "this is to show us how wide 
to cut a sleeve at the wrist?" 

Just then a merry laugh broke from Helen, in which both 
teacher and pupils joined when they saw the cause. Mary 
had her tape-measure around Fanny's hand, when she dis- 
covered that Fanny's thumb was standing straight out in 

^4 205 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the air, and there was a look about that thumb that said 
"I will not be measured." 

After the merriment had subsided, Miss Cutting said: 

"Yes, Fanny, you are right, but we can hardly expect to 
cut off your thumbs in order to get your hand through the 
sleeve at the wrist; so if you hold your thumb close to the 
side of your forefinger the whole width of the hand will 
be measured, and we can be sure the sleeve is wide enough 
to let the hand pass through.'* 

*'I think this is very interesting. Miss Cutting," said 
Helen, "and I hope we can understand the rest of the 
lesson as well." 

"I like it immensely," said Mary. 

"So do I," said Fanny. "Won't you tell us, Miss Cut- 
ting, what comes next?" 

"Our lesson is over for to-day," answered Miss Cutting. 
"This morning you have learned to take measures. Next 
week I will teach you how to measure and cut out a pattern 
for yourselves, and when that is done you will each make 
a pretty dress." 

"Oh!" exclaimed the three in a breath, "how lovely that 
will be!" 

The Second Day^s Lesson 

The following Saturday morning found the three young 
people and their teacher busily at work. On the table in 
front of each girl Miss Cutting had laid a white muslin waist- 
pattern. Their books showing the measures taken the 
previous week were open alongside of their patterns. 

"You will see," said Miss Cutting, "that a waist-pattern 

206 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

consists of four pieces — a front and a back piece, a front 
side-piece, and a back side-piece (Fig. 6). 

*'It is important that you should learn the names of 
these waist pieces, and how they are joined together. The 
two larger pieces for front and back are easy to become 
familiar with, but the side-pieces to an inexperienced eye 
are very similar. You will notice that the front side-piece 
is quite straight, while the back side-piece is more curved. 
These patterns, when bought," said Miss Cutting, "are al- 
ways made of tissue-paper, but I cut new ones of strong 
muslin or paper, as being easier to handle and more durable. 
I have given each of you a pattern as near your bust meas- 
ure as possible, and you will have to make a pattern to fit 
yourselves." 

''Won't this be very hard?" asked Fanny. 

"Not if you follow me closely," said Miss Cutting. "A 
little familiarity will make it extremely simple work. 

Applying Measures to Pattern 

"Now," she continued, pinning the waist together by 
the seams, and laying it out fiat on the table, "the first 
thing is to measure the length of back and mark a waist- 
line. This is Helen's pattern; her back measured fifteen 
inches in length, so I measure fifteen inches on the back 
piece from the neck down. When I get to the fifteenth 
inch I mark a line straight across the back piece at this 
point (Fig. 6) . Then I take the back side-piece, and laying 
it alongside the back piece so that it is even at the armhole, 
I draw a waist-line across it where it will join the one on 

207 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the back piece. I follow this rule with each piece in turn, 
until there is a waist-line on all four pieces." 

"What can this waist-line be for?" asked Helen. 

"It has so many uses," said Miss Cutting, "and is so 
important that you cannot give it too much attention; 
but it will be better as we progress for you to find these 
uses for yourselves, one by one. I now pass my tape- 




Fig.8 



Fig. 9 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

measure across the pattern from the opening that forms 
the line for buttoning in front to the middle seam at the 
back, letting it be about an inch below the armhole (Fig. 8) . 
This measures sixteen inches, which, multiplied by two, 
would make thirty-two inches. Of course, you understand 
that this is only half a pattern, and that in cutting a waist 
you would double the material and lining, so as to have 
eight pieces, four for each side. I will measure the waist- 
line the same way," said Miss Cutting. She did so, and 
found it was twenty-five inches. 

''This pattern," said Miss Cutting, ''is for Helen. Her 
bust measure is thirty-one and a half inches, and her waist 
measure twenty- three inches. So this pattern is half an 
inch too large at the bust, and two inches too large at the 
waist, and must be made the right size." 

The three girls watched Miss Cutting closely, while she 
proceeded to measure the pattern a quarter of an inch 
smaller on the seam under the arm, and one inch smaller 
at the two side seams of the waist-line (Fig. 9). 

"You will remember," said Miss Cutting, "that as this 
is only half a waist-pattern, I had to divide the amount by 
two, and instead of measuring half an inch smaller at the 
bust and two inches smaller at the waist, I made it a quarter 
of an inch for the bust and one inch for the waist. This," 
she proceeded, "is called grading a pattern. I must now 
draw a line between these two pencil-marks, to show where 
the seams are to be basted ; and in cutting out your own waists 
it is these new seams, and not the old ones, that you follow." 

"Won't we get puzzled between old and new marks?" 
asked Helen. 

209 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



*'Not if you mark them in different colors," said Miss 
Cutting. *'In preparing these patterns for use, I mark all 
the seams, as you see, with a red lead-pencil, and when 
you mark new seams you can use a black or blue pencil; 
this will keep old and new lines distinct from each other. 
I measure the width of the chest across the front of the 
waist," she went on, "at a point three inches below the 




Fig. to 



Fig. a 



Fig. t2 



neck. Helen's chest measure is thirteen inches from 
shoulder to shoulder, and consequently I measure six and 
a half inches from the middle of the front to the armhole 
(this being just half the required size) , and then allow half 
an inch for a seam, making seven inches. I mark with a 
pencil, and take out the extra width at the front, so that 
the waist will be the desired width across the chest (Fig. lo). 
"The last measure to take on the waist," said Miss Cut- 
ting, "is the length of point (Fig. ii). This is to get the 
waist a correct fit in front, so it will not be too long or too 
short waisted, just as you measure the length of back so 



2IO 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

that your waist will not be too long or too short behind. 
I pin the front and back pieces together at the shoulder- 
seams, and lay them out flat on the table; then I measure 
from the back of the neck, over the shoulder, and down to 
the waist-line in front. Helen's length of front is eighteen 
and a half inches, and this pattern measures nineteen inches, 
so I must make it half an inch shorter. Can you guess," 
she said, "how it should be done?" 

''Yes," said Mary. "Move the waist-line half an inch 
higher up." 

"No, my dear," said Miss Cutting; "that is exactly what 
you must not do; the waist-line should not be altered. 
What you have to do, if your pattern is too long or short- 
waisted, is to make it longer or shorter between the shoulder- 
seams and the waist-line. I will measure from the back 
of Helen's neck to the fullest point at the bust and then 
measure the pattern, and if the pattern is too long I will 
make a pleat across the chest. If not, I will take the pleat 
in between the bust and waist, and it will then be the cor- 
rect length." 

"This is not so hard as I expected," said Helen, "and I 
think I understand the idea perfectly. By applying all 
these measures to the different parts of a pattern, one after 
another, I can alter its size and its shape to fit the person 
whose measure I have taken." 



Grading the Sleeve Pattern 

"Yes," answered Miss Cutting, "that is it exactly; and 
now I will conclude with the sleeve measure, and then 

211 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



when Mary and Fanny have measured and cut out their 
waists, you will all be ready to baste and sew." Saying 
which, Miss Cutting took up a sleeve pattern and laid it 
on the table (Fig. 12 A). She then measured the length 
of the under part of the sleeve from the armhole to the 
wrist, measuring on the inside seam. The length came to 
nineteen inches and a half. 

"Helen's arm measures eighteen inches," said Miss Cut- 
ing, "and allowing a quarter of an inch at top and bottom 
for seams, that comes to eighteen and a half inches. Con- 
sequently, I must cut this sleeve pattern one inch shorter. 
I next measure from the armhole to the elbow (inside), 
which for Helen is seven inches, and mark a dot with a 
pencil, then from the wrist to the elbow outside; and 
between these two points, inside and outside, I draw a 
diagonal line. This is called the 'elbow point' (Fig. 12 B).'* 

"What is that for?" asked Mary. 

"As sleeves are often made," answered Miss Cutting, 
"they have a few gathers at the elbow; these gathers, which 
are on the upper or wide part of the sleeve, are joined to 
the under part one inch above and one and a quarter 
inches below the 'elbow point.'" 

In conclusion she added : * ' We now have to find the width 
of the sleeve. I will pin both seams of the sleeve together, 
and lay it down with the outside seam lying flat on the 
table. I measure across the bottom the size of Helen's 
hand, seven inches. And across the top the size of her 
arm, twelve inches. At the bottom I allow one inch more 
and at the top two inches more to let the sleeve fit easily. 
I draw a new line from the top to the bottom of the sleeve, 

212 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

between the points I have marked; and let me add here 
that a sleeve should always be made wider or narrower 
on the outside seams (Fig. 12 C D). This," said Miss Cut- 
ting, "completes our work on Helen's pattern." 

"But, Miss Cutting," said Helen, "this pattern you have 
altered for me was too large ; suppose it had been too small, 
what would you have done?" 

"I should have made it larger," said Miss Cutting, "by 
cutting it at necessary points, and inserting a piece of cam- 
bric wide enough to give the extra size." 

"To be sure," said Fanny. "I wonder we did not think 
of that." 

"I have lots to think of until next week," said Helen, 
as the girls began to fold up their work and clear the table. 

The Third Day's Lesson 

The next week, and for several succeeding weeks, the 
young people met together and made rapid progress. After 
all three had a waist and sleeve pattern measured and 
ready for use. Miss Cutting showed them the correct way 
to pin it to their lining. The lining was first folded double, 
and then the front piece of the pattern was laid on the 
goods with the front edge running parallel with the selvage 
of the lining. The front side-piece and the back pieces 
were simply laid straight on the muslin, care being taken 
to waste as little of the material as possible; but the back 
side - piece had to be pinned so that the waist - line ran 
parallel with the cross thread in the muslin. 

The upper and under parts of the sleeve were laid on the 

213 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



lining so that the outside edge from armhole to elbow ran 
parallel with the selvage of the muslin. 

Having marked all the seams evenly and firmly with the 
mar king- wheel, they proceeded to cut out the lining and 
unpin their patterns. Miss Cutting told them to cut open 
the darts of their waists to within two inches of the top, 
and showed them that they must gather all the seams on 
the lining from the waist-line to three inches above, draw- 
ing the front and side pieces a quarter of an inch full, and 
the back one-eighth of an inch full. She explained that on 




Fig. 13 



Fig. 14 



the back pieces only the middle seam was gathered, and on 
the back side - pieces only the shorter side needed the 
gathers (Fig. 13). 

Miss Cutting explained that this gathering on the lining 
before the seams were sewed up made the seams at the 
waist much smoother, and also allowed the bones that were 
sewed in the waist to bend without puckering the seams. 
She next stretched the shoulder-seams a little on the front 
pieces of the waist, and told them that in sewing this front 
shoulder-seam to the back, they should draw it quite tight, 

214 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

and at the same time hold the back edge of the seam 
easy. 

Helen inquired the use of this rule, and Miss Cutting led 
her up to a mirror and showed her how much more hollow 
her chest w^as than her shoulder, and pointed out that every 
one was the same to a greater or less degree, and that con- 
sequently to keep the dress from wrinkling over the chest 
the material and lining should be drawn tighter there than 
on the back. All this work on the lining, she told them, 
was called ''preparing it for use," and it was now ready to 
lay on the material so as to cut the waist out. The lining 
and material were basted carefully together, and the differ- 
ent pieces were all joined at the waist-line and basted up 
to the top; then basted from the waist-line down to the 
bottom, care being taken to follow the markings of the 
seams on each side. 

Miss Cutting explained to them that this rule about be- 
ginning to baste at the waist-line did not apply to the four 
darts, which must be begun at the top and sewed down to 
the bottom of the waist. 

The next step in their work was to try the waists on, and 
this caused no small excitement. Helen's, which had all 
been measured by Miss Cutting, was a perfect fit. Fanny's 
proved to be a little tight, and Mary's a trifle short-waisted ; 
Miss Cutting assured them there was no cause to be dis- 
couraged. Fanny's waist could be let out a little on the 
side seams under the arms, and Mary's waist-line could be 
made lower. 

When this was done they stitched their waists on the 
machine, and trimmed the seams, notching them in several 

215 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



places, so they would lie flat. The seams were then pressed 
open with a hot iron, and overcast with sewing silk, or bound 
with binding ribbon, to keep them from ravelling. They 
next sewed their sleeves (Fig. 14). The outer part was gath- 
ered to the lining around the top, and then the upper and 
under pieces were sewed together, and the seams pressed 
and overcast. In sewing the sleeve in the dress Miss Cut- 
ting showed them that the outside seam of the sleeve joined 
the dress at a point just between the two seams of the back 
side-piece. 

Fanny inquired how she was to cut her waist off at the 
bottom so that the two sides would be even. 

"Here, my dear," said Miss Cutting, ''you learn one of 
the uses of the waist-line. If you fold your waist double, 
and pin the waist-lines together all across, you can cut the 
end of the waist either round or pointed, and feel certain 
it will match on both sides." 

'*Do tell us some other uses of the waist-line," said 
Helen. 

"You have already learned," said Miss Cutting, "that 
the first and chief thing it designates is our length of back, 
also where to begin basting up the seams of a waist and 
gathering the lining. Some other things it is intended for 
are to show us where to sew in a belt ; how long to make a 
belt waist; and it also enables us, in making a, plaid or 
striped dress, to match the stripes and plaids in the dift"er- 
ent pieces of the waist by laying the waist-line marked in 
the lining on the same color or stripe of the material." 

The girls thought this quite wonderful, and commented 
on it as their fingers and needles flew. They had now ar- 

216 



SIMPLE DRESS-MAKING LESSONS 

rived at their tenth lesson, and that morning saw the com- 
pletion of their waists. 

The bones for the seams were slipped into bone casing 
and fastened in so tight that they bent like a bow. They 
were then laid flat on the seams and herring-boned on 
one by one with button-hole twist. The bottom of their 
sleeves and the bottom of their waists were turned up 
half an inch and basted, and then faced with silk cut on 
the bias. A collar was cut from a pattern, sewed to the 
neck edge, and faced the same way. 

During the two remaining lessons they made their skirts ; 
the skirts were cut with five breadths, so as to have them 
wide enough to meet the prevailing fashion. The front 
breadth was sloped on each seam, measuring about fourteen 
inches across the top and twenty -five inches at the bottom. 
To each side of this front was sewed a narrower breadth, the 
side sewed toward the front being straight and the other 
side gored. The back consisted of two straight breadths. 
The whole skirt, when finished, measured about three and 
a half yards around the bottom. The seams were then 
stitched on the machine and pressed open. The bottom of 
the skirt was faced; the top gathered or pleated in the 
back and fitted to the figure. The whole skirt was then 
put into a band. 

Before the twelfth and last lesson the dresses were done, 
and the young people confessed they had learned a great 
deal and enjoyed it very much. 

"The only thing is," said Mary, '*I feel rather timid 
about attempting a dress all alone." 

"That is very natural," said Miss Cutting; "you all know 

217 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



that a few lessons in music and drawing don't make you 
perfect — they only show you the luay. You need a good 
deal of practice at music and drawing to become really 
proficient, and learning dressmaking is very much the same 
thing. 

"I have no doubt you will meet with some failures, but 
if you keep on you will also meet with success. Begin first 
on simple and inexpensive goods ; after you feel more con- 
fidence in yourselves, take up good quality material. 

"Another good idea," she added, "would be if you were 
to begin by teaching dressmaking in a simpler form to your 
little sisters. Teach them to make dresses for their dolls. 
You can buy dolls' patterns at any good pattern shop, and 
omitting the difficult part of measuring, the little people 
could easily learn a great deal from you. It would help to 
fix it all in your own minds, and I am sure you could make 
it interesting for them." 

"I mean to try everything," said Helen, "and I am very 
sorry to-day is our last lesson ; but we shall see you again. 
Miss Cutting, and tell you how we get on." 



Chapter XXI 

DETAILS OF DRESS FINISHING 

TWO points that often puzzle the home dressmaker are 
the finishing of the foot of new skirts or the putting 
on of the braid or binding when the renovation of these 
portions becomes necessary. A few hints upon these two 
points should be of service, and also upon the proper 
method of finishing the placket. It will be understood 
that the rules given apply to the making of skirts in 
general. 

Facing Skirts 

There are several ways of putting on a skirt facing, 
and the particular one most suited to any individual 
skirt must be decided by the texture and make of the 
latter. 

The end desirable is to make the lower edge of the skirt 
set smoothly and firmly, but not clumsily, over the foot. 
Fashion also decrees what amount of firmness or stiffness is 
correct for the hour. As being the simplest style, we will 
first take for example the "rainy-day" skirt, which is a 
most sensible and apparently indispensable garment to 
every American girl's wardrobe. It is made usually of the 

219 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



double-face tweed, which has contrasting surfaces of plaid 
or plain tones. When this texture is very thick and un- 
wieldy, the seams are apt to be clumsy if stitched up in the 
ordinary way. A lapped seam is here preferred, and this 
is made by laying edge over edge, and stitching twice, first 
on one side and then on the other, placing the line of stitch- 
ing as near the raw edge as possible. This serves to make 
a neat and fashionable seam. By this means, also, the right 
and wrong sides of all the seams are similar, and equally 
neat. Therefore, instead of facing the foot edge, and so 
making the latter set out as if wired, use a very fine quality 
braid, and stitch it on to the raw edge as a binding as neatly 
as a coat edge is bound ; the braid itself will give the neces- 
sary amount of stiffness, and the skirt will feel much more 
comfortable and set better than it would do if faced (Fig. i). 
For tweeds of a lighter weight, cut a five-inch-wide strip 
of material to fit the shape (or exactly on the bias, and 
stretch the lower edge to shape it), making any necessary 
joins always on a straight thread. This is most important. 
Press every seam open with the same care as is given to 
the seams of the skirt. Next, lay the facing, or false hem, 
as it is sometimes called, on to the skirt edge to edge, with 
the two right sides of cloth meeting. See that the hem is 
not the least bit tight on the skirt, and baste and stitch them 
together along the lower edges. Take out basting thread, 
turn the hem over into place and baste it again, so as to 
insure the seam coming right on the edge nicely and sharply ; 
then, before going any further (assuming the material is a 
thick one) , press it well with a hot iron to make the edge set 
quite flat. 

220 



DETAILS OF DRESS FINISHING 

Finishing the Top of Facing 

This done, it will be a simple task to baste the upper 
edge of hem rather firmly so that the machine cannot push 
the one cloth along the other while stitching it, in one or 
more rows from the right side (Fig. 2). If stitching is not 
desired, hem by hand along to the hack surface of skirt 
cloth only, so that the stitches will not be visible on the 
right side. 

It is a matter of individual taste whether skirts made of 
faced cloths and materials of similar weight should be lined 
or not, but since it is now well known that much weight 
does not necessarily mean warmth, many prefer to have 
their cloth skirts made up with loose drop-skirt linings, or 
even without any lining whatever, electing to wear the silk 
under-skirt as a separate garment. Once this plan is 
adopted it is generally continued, especially with the pre- 
vailing long skirts, as they are so much more easily lifted. 
Skirts made up in this way, especially when of light-weight 
Venetian or face cloth, require nice facings about thirteen 
inches deep, which should be of silk preferably. The next 
best material is fine Italian cloth or lansdowne. 

The facing must be cut very carefully to correspond with 
shape of lower edge of skirt. For the amateur the safest 
plan is to cut it the required depth to match the lower edge 
of each portion of the skirt, and then join the pieces to- 
gether, as in the case of the skirt seams, stitching the silk 
with slightly narrower turnings (if the same have been al- 
lowed on both) , so as to make it the least bit loose on the 
cloth. 

*s 221 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Next take a strip of fine crinoline cut on an exact bias in 
strips two inches wide, which lay on the inside of cloth edge. 
Turn up and baste both together, in the one-inch turning 
that will have been allowed in cutting out the skirt. Now 
place the lower part of skirt wrong side up over your lap- 
board, and, beginning with the centre of front, baste the 
facing along at its two edges, turning the latter under as 
you proceed. Be careful to smooth the material, but avoid 
doing so to the facing, as smoothing one material over an- 
other tightens the upper one. It is essential that a lining 
of any sort be slightly easy to the material. Finally hem 
and press the edge nicely (Fig.3), the top row of stitches 
being done invisibly, as they must not show^ on the right 
side. It may be impossible to prevent the stitches from 
making an impression, but this should disappear after the 
pressing. 

Lined Skirts 

When a regular skirt-lining is made up separately and 
put inside the cloth the process of fitting the same is practi- 
cally the same as that described for facing, except that the 
lining is carried up to the waist. It is always essential to 
secure it to the cloth at each seam, several inches above the 
foot edge, to prevent its dropping below should the skirt 
be lifted by the cloth alone. In most cases it is preferable 
to stitch the lining in with the material at the seams, down 
to within thirteen inches of the foot edge, where notch the 
lining turnings back so as to be able to continue the seam 
without a break through the cloth only. When pressing 
the seams open, it will be necessary to notch the cloth 

222 




Fig.t 



Fig. 2 



Fig. 3 




Fig. 7 Fig. 8 

SOME PETAILS OF SKIRT FINISHING 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



ones at the same place, so that they will slip under the lin- 
ing edges, which latter can then be hemmed down each 
seam, and finished off round the foot edge, as already di- 
rected for the faced skirts (Fig. 4) . 

For thin materials stitch the seams, lining and material 
together, placing any required stiffening between the two, 
stitching its upper raw edge on to the lining before the 
latter is put to the material; Fig. 5 illustrates this, and 
also shows the tacking down of the sides, which must be 
done with the material uppermost, and smoothed on to the 
lining. When the seams are stitched up, a facing may be 
put in to any desired depth, as in Fig. 3, except, of course, 
omitting the two-inch-wide strip of muslin, as the stiffening 
already has been placed in the skirt. We have said nothing 
so far about braid or bias velvet to protect the foot edge. 
If the former is used it should be doubled, and simply run 
inside the skirt edge so as to come very slightly below the 
latter. If bias velvet is used, it is neater to run one edge 
under the edge of the skirt, and to lay the other under the 
facing, so that the hemming of the latter makes a neat 
finish. 

On Making Plackets 

Where to place a placket has been a vexed question of 
late, and the more or less plain skirts have made it indis- 
pensable that the placket should be made as invisible and 
as secure when fastened as possible. Many women over- 
look the fact that even where there is a fair amount of ful- 
ness in the back of a skirt, almost every movement will 
reveal the petticoat underneath, unless the placket be 

224 



DETAILS OF DRESS FINISHING 

properly secured. No placket is properly made without a 
'*fiy*' as well as a false hem under one, if not both edges. 
It should almost invariably be made at a seam, and finished 
off so that the break is invisible. The best plan is to baste 
the seam in which the placket is to be made the whole way 
up. When removing the thread after stitching, and pre- 
paratory to pressing the seams open, carefully leave that 
portion in beyond the stitching (the placket part) and press 
it also; then remove the basting threads, lay a strip of 
muslin cut on the straight under each edge, taking care to 
tighten rather than stretch the latter. Hem or herring-bone 
the turning down, without allowing the stitches to show on 
the right side. Next sew curved hooks and eyes alternately 
inside both edges, so that when fastened they will be held 
quite closely together, and buttonhole the eyes with silk 
twist. 

The fastenings must next be neatly concealed by a strip 
of ribbon or of lining, and a ''fly" of the material (either 
selvage edge, or pinked out if thick, or double if thin) be 
secured under one edge, as illustrated in Fig. 6. To prevent 
the lower corner giving way, it is necessary to secure it by 
a small piece of cloth hemmed across the seam on the in- 
side. A perfectly plain skirt may have the placket down 
the centre back seam, and yet be quite invisible if done care- 
fully in the manner described, but it is indispensable that 
the hooks and eyes be as close together as for a bodice, 
and one of the various kinds of hooks that will not unfasten 
readily must be used. 

Where the placket is quite covered it is only necessary 
to place a false hem under the upper edge, and sew a ''fly" 

225 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



on to the under one; then sew safety -hooks under the 
former, and straight eyes, or work loops, on the seam of the 
latter, as illustrated in Fig. 7. 

Inverted Pleat at the Back of a Skirt 

The front, sides and back require careful fitting. No darts 
should show in the front width, and, if possible to do the 
fitting at the seams, none are necessary in the side gores; 
but when these are necessary they should be as small as 
possible, taking up two small rather than one large one. In 
cases of slight irregularity of form it is often necessary to 
take up a dart between the gore seam and centre of back 
to make this part of the skirt fit well, but this must be 
determined after arranging the centre pleats. 

The latter must hang so as just to meet easily the whole 
way down, without being held together in any way, and the 
under-fold on each side must be well up at the waist to 
effect this; if the pleats incline outward at the lower edge 
the whole back wants lifting up, and the shape is so far 
faulty; or if there is not enough width to allow sufficient 
depth to the folds at the hip-line, the pleats will not set 
nicely to the back, although it is quite a simple matter to 
cut a skirt back that will be quite plain at the waist edge, 
but which will hang in gradually deepening folds that com- 
mence at literally nothing at the waist. 

When the pleats at the back are satisfactorily arranged, 
if there is any superfluous material from the waist to the 
hip-line at the sides, take it up in a nicely tapering dart 
without tightening it in the least, for this would be worse 

226 



DETAILS OF DRESS FINISHING 

than fhe fulness, and be careful to slant the dart in an 
equally symmetrical line with the pleat edges down the 
centre and the seam of the gore, as this will make all the 
difference to the ''expression" of the back. 

Secure the folds down to the skirt for a few inches if de- 
sired, but for ornament more than anything else; but, al- 
though this serves to keep them nicely together, rest as- 
sured that if the pleats do not set without any such help 
in the first instance, they will most certainly soon get out 
of condition in spite of all the stitchings, elastics, or tapes. 
Fig. 8 illustrates the inner and outer sides of an inverted 
pleat-back. Too much emphasis cannot be laid upon the 
necessity for arranging back pleats so that they meet easily 
and without suspicion of stretching over the hips. A good 
plan is to baste the edges of the pleats once the "hang" is 
secured, and press well. 



Chapter XXII 

MAKING A SET OF MUSLIN GARMENTS 

MANY girls who will spend an infinite amount of patience 
^ on other kinds of needlework will not attempt what 
in Scotland is collectively called "white seam," thinking it 
to be too laborious. As a matter of fact, to make under- 
garments prettily is very fascinating work, as those whom 

I hope to induce to make a trial 
will find. The nightgown shown 
in Fig. I is one of the pretty semi- 




Fiff. t 



Fig. 3 



MAKING A SET OF MUSLIN GARMENTS 



low -neck patterns, easy to make, and lends 
itself to a display of dainty workmanship in 
the yoke, which is in the front only. The illus- 
tration shows it with insertion strips, alternat- 
ing pieces of tucking, placed so that the tucks 
slope diagonally. A fly-piece for the button- 
holes is put on under the right edge of the front 
opening, and a false fly is added to the left one 
to carry the buttons. The lower part is gath- 
ered and secured to the yoke edge ; the turn- 
ings are cut as close as is permissible, and a 
narrow band of the muslin is laid over them and 
feather - stitched. A similar band with a lace 
frill finishes the neck edge, the back of which 
is gathered along the centre. If preferred, short 
tucks may be substituted for the gathers at 
back and front, in which case those in the front 
should be only about two inches and a half 
deep in the centre, graduating to one and a 
half inches. 

The sleeves have only one" seam, are gath- 
ered over the top to set into the armhole, and 
the lower edge, also gathered, is stitched into a 
narrow band to match that at neck, to which a 
frill of muslin edged with lace is added. Bead- 
ing with ribbon run through it may be used in- 
stead of the plain band in each place if preferred. 
Five and a half yards of thirty-six-inch-wide 
muslin are required for this gown; two yards 
of insertion if used as in the illustration, with 

229 



Fig. 2 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



tucked muslin let in between the bands; and three yards 
of lace edging. 

Cutting the Garment 

Fig. 2 shows how to place the several parts of the pattern 
on thirty-six-inch-wide material folded down the centre of 
the width. The front is wider than the back, but both 
require gores added to the sides to make the necessary 
width for the skirt of gown; if jaconet or mull should be 
used, both of which are wider than ordinary muslin, smaller 
gores will be needed, and there will be a saving in the 
quantity of material. The centre-back and front edges of 
pattern are placed to the fold, as also that of the sleeve, 
which latter should be cut to the higher edge at the top 
only at front. The gore for the back is placed to the fold 
for convenience of cutting, and it must therefore be divided. 
The second sleeve is cut out of the remnant of cloth which 
is allowed for in the estimate of quantity. When both are 
cut, open them out, place them together, and slope out for 
the under-arm curve. Make the seams as neat as possible 
by cutting the turnings away — one to a little less than a 
quarter-inch, and the other a little wider to turn under, 
so as not to have to turn both, which makes a thick and 
ugly seam. 

The drawers (Fig. 3) , which require two and an eighth yards 
of thirty-six-inch muslin, are a new shape, with no fulness 
round the waist except at the middle of the back; very 
comfortable and comfortably wide around the knees; they 
are made to open at the sides, otherwise points A, B, E, 
and F must be thrown out some few inches to give extra 

230 



MAKING A SET OF MUSLIN GARMENTS 

width, and the top edges at point A lapped when finishing 
the top. By following the instructions any one can cut 
out the pattern. 

How to Ctit a Pattern 

The long arrow down the middle of Fig. 3 represents the 
fold of the pattern. If the knee edge is doubled and both 
sides placed exactly together, the various points are all 
measured from that line, to right or left, as follows: A is 
eight and a half inches from and a half-inch above X ; B is 
ten and a half inches from and four and a half inches 
above X. Notice there is a slight downward curve from 
A to X, and a dart is taken up between the two. Line 
C to D is the opening; C measures two inches from and 
a half -inch above X; D is eight inches down and five 
and a half inches across from X; E is seventeen inches, 
F eighteen inches, across, and both twelve inches down 
from X; G is thirty inches (or less if required shorter) 
straight down from X; and each H is two inches above 
and sixteen inches from G. Cut the upper and side parts 
first, and then fold the pattern on the arrow so that H 
dots meet, and cut to G through both thicknesses. It 
will be seen that the line F to H is longer than that from 
E to H on the opposite side ; be very careful to place oppo- 
site points to meet, and ease the extra length into the top 
two inches of the seam. Stitch and fell all the seams, in- 
cluding the darts in the front; add a fly flap on the front 
edge of opening (cut from C to D), and hem a false hem 
under the opposite one. Gather the back for about three 
and a half inches on each side of B, running a second row 

231 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



of gathering at a quarter-inch below the first; stroke the 
gathers carefully. 

Sew the edge A to C to an inch less of muslin cut on 
the bias, easing slightly toward the centre; hem the strip 
along on the wrong side, and sew buttons on the right sides 
at the ends. 

Run the edge, B to C, to another strip of muslin, of such 
a length that when buttoned the waist will be at least two 
and a half inches larger than the correct size; hem it as 
before. 

It is quite flat if finished in this way ; there is no ridge of 
a shaped band, no bunchy fulness below the waist, and 
the garment drops about an inch lower than the waist-line. 
Make the frills for the knees as desired, and join them to 
the edges of garment after running the three tucks in the 
latter, as illustrated in Fig. 4; the join is concealed by a 
beading through which ribbon is run and tied at the side. 
For the frill allow for fulness from a quarter to half as 
much extra as the width round the knee. 

A Corset-Cover 

To many girls the pretty corset-cover shown in Fig. 5 will 
be quite a novelty. It is composed of two hem-stitched, 
embroidered handkerchiefs, each cut in half diagonally, 
and one half divided again; these pieces are joined together 
by lace insertion, which also trims the front edges, little 
bands of muslin being added for the buttons and button- 
holes and to hold the insertion. A muslin beading through 
which ribbon is run finishes the waist ; a narrow lace beading 

232 



MAKING A SET OF MUSLIN GARMENTS 

run with baby-ribbon joins the lace frill to the insertion at 
the back and to the armholes. One half handkerchief, with 
circular pieces cut out, forms the upper part of front and 
back on each side of the bodice ; the other half forms the 
lower part of the back, and the two quarters each a lower 
part of half the front, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The neces- 




Fig.6 

sary quantities for this corset-cover are two handkerchiefs 
(twelve inches square for a small, medium size), two and 
three-quarters yards of lace edging, three and a half yards 
of insertion one and three quarter inches wide, three- 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



quarters of a yard of muslin beading one inch wide for 
waist, two and a half yards of narrow lace beading, one 
and one-quarter yards of three-quarter-inch ribbon, and 
three and a half yards of baby-ribbon. 

This would be a very pretty present for a girl to make, 
for a friend ; the same pattern as formed by the outer lines 
may easily be used for a corset-cover made of plain thin 
muslin, ready tucked and embroidered muslin, or of any 
of the various prepared transparent materials. Another 
plain corset-cover may be made by opening the shoulders 
of a fitting bodice lining, all the other seams being stitched 
up, and cutting it all in one piece by placing the centre 
back edge to a straight fold of the muslin, as shown in Fig. 
7, when the front will come on the bias. The front edges 
may be either hemmed or set into narrow bands for the 
buttons and button-holes, which is rather the better way, 
as the bias edge may then be eased to the band, which makes 
the bodice fit better. A pretty fancy is to tie the fronts 
together with bows of narrow ribbon instead of having 
buttons. The top should be finished with a narrow beading 
and ribbon and a wider one at the waist. 



Chapter XXIII 

MAKING FANCY APRONS 

EVERY now and then some garment which had been 
relegated to the past returns to favor again, but al- 
ways with some modification to suit the taste of this more 
artistic age. The apron, for instance, which had been 
looked upon for some time as an article of utility merely, 
has now become a thing of beauty, and as it is also useful 
it ought. never to be allowed to pass out of style. 

As a dainty gift the fancy apron is receiving marked at- 
tention, possibly because it is shown in such fascinating 
styles and is so well adapted to the needs of the period. 
There are not only the aprons for home wear, but little 
novelties for office use, such as the stenographer's apron, 
etc. The latter is very useful for protecting the dress, and 
although it should be made in a thoroughly practical man- 
ner, yet a touch of daintiness should be given it which will 
add to the otherwise plain effect of the business-suit re- 
quired. 

Chafing-Dish Aprons 

The style of apron that perhaps appeals most strongly to 
the feminine mind is the dressy little affair for afternoon 

235 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



wear, or for serving at chafing-dish parties, teas, etc. (Fig. i). 
It may be made as elaborately or as simply as one chooses, 
provided the material be fine, dainty, and neatly made up. 

Appropriate materials for fancy aprons are sheer lawns, 
muslins, and handkerchief linens, used in combination with 
lace insertions, edgings, and wash ribbons. Swiss muslins 
and organdies in delicate colors, with lace rufHes, are ex- 
ceedingly pretty and easily made, requiring little trimming, 
as the material is sufficient in itself. 

A very dainty apron may be made of white muslin with 
large polka-dots, and the latter may be worked over with 
a light tint of cotton. The edge of the apron may be finished 
with a muslin ruffle and a beading through which ribbon 
is run, the ribbon also forming ties for the waist. 

One remembers, perhaps, the quaint silk apron worn in 
former days. Now we see aprons of pongee, China, and 
other thin silks, with embroidery or trimmings of lace. A 
novel idea is to embroider one's initials or monogram on 
the apron. 

A practical fancy-work apron is one with deep pockets. 
This may be made in one piece, the lower part being turned 
up to form a long pocket, which may be divided into 
sections. Linen and wash silks are as suitable as any ma- 
terial for an apron of this style, which will require laun- 
dering. 

Very much of the artistic beauty of an apron depends 
upon its shape. Little round aprons are very dainty, and 
those cut with a quite sharp point in the front are exceed- 
ingly graceful. Many have little bibs, and some have 
bretelles. These dressy aprons should, of course, be small, 

236 



MAKING FANCY APRONS 




Fig.t 




Fig. 3 




Fig. 2 




Fig. 4 



reaching scarcely to tlie knees. If made longer, the grace- 
ful effect is lost. 

Colored embroidery is quite the rage, and may be effec- 
tively applied to aprons. Cotton is, of course, the most 
practical material with which to embroider these. It may 
be obtained in very desirable colors which will stand laun- 
dering. 

The few designs for chafing-dish aprons here offered in 
i6 237 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



styles that are attractive and practical require no vast 
amount of work in their make-up. One can readily carry 
out these ideas from looking at the cuts. 

An Apron of India Lawn 

The first apron (Fig. i) is made of fine India lawn trimmed 
with lace insertion and edging, the insertion applied in 
scrolls, with wheels worked in the loops. The lace ruffle is 
made quite full. The pattern is traced on the sheer lawn, 
and the insertion applied in the following manner: It is 
first basted in place, then sewed to the lawn with very tiny 
stitches along its inner edge. A line of feather-stitching is 
then worked at the top of the insertion, the stitches extend- 
ing just over the edge of the insertion. After the edging 
and insertion have been sewed together, the lawn is cut 
away from under the scrolls, turned back, and hemmed to 
the under side of the feather-stitching. The feather-stitch- 
ing is worked with embroidery cotton and the wheels with 
linen thread. When stitching, start at the belt on each 
side, working down to the middle of the apron's lower edge. 
A line of feather-stitching covers the joining of the belt and 
apron, and the ends of the strings are feather-stitched and 
trimmed with lace. This design is equally pretty for an 
apron made of silk or linen trimmed with torchon lace. 

A Pointed Apron 

A little pointed apron made of white lawn has an em- 
broidered medallion inserted in the point (Fig. 2). There 

238 



MAKING FANCY APRONS 



is a band of lace braid around the medallion, and the two 
are fastened together with a few simple lace stitches. A 
line of feather-stitching is worked over the edge of the lace 
braid and a circle and scrolls of eyelets, joined together with 
stem-stitch, complete this decoration. The medallion and 
lace braid are inserted in the same manner as described in 
the directions for making the first apron. A ruffle of muslin 
embroidery and a beading through which pink ribbon is 
run finish the apron, and there are long ribbon ties. A 
row of feather-stitching is worked along the edge of the 
beading. The stitching and eyelets are worked in mercer- 
ized cotton (letter E is a suitable size) . The fulness at the 
waist-line is adjusted by a row of tiny hand-run tucks, the 
tucks graduated in length from the middle to the side. A 
very dainty little apron may be made after this model, 
using a few butterfly medallions for decoration. 

A Colored Apron 

On another apron (Fig. 3) colored embroidery is used 
with good effect. This style of apron is now very popular, 
and. it is extremely pretty for afternoon wear. It serves 
so well to dress up and protect a plain shirt-waist suit, and 
the bit of bright color used in the embroidery is very at- 
tractive, especially if the apron be worn over a dull-colored 
gown. The model is made of quite heavy white linen. The 
feather-stitching is worked with a light shade, and the dots 
with a deeper tint, of salmon-pink embroidery cotton. The 
simplest form of feather-stitch is used, and the dots are 
raised by working them twice over. Linen torchon lace is 

239 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



used for trimming the edge. One of the chief recommenda- 
tions of this apron is that it is made of such durable ma- 
terials. If one desires a more elaborate apron after this 
pattern, fine muslin and Valenciennes lace may be used. 
A white pongee with colored embroidery would be very 
pretty. Attractive colored aprons may be made, using 
chambray or light-weight linen trimmed with linen lace, 
the embroidery done with white mercerized cotton. Cream 
crash and ecru linen trimmed with lace of the same color 
are quite effective, and on these the colored cottons show 
to advantage. These colored aprons are most useful to 
the young housekeeper. A very pretty apron for a child 
may be made after the style of the model, the apron part, of 
course, being full and made straight across the bottom. 

A Fitted Lace-Trimmed Apron 

The fourth apron (Fig. 4) is made from an unusually 
well-fitting pattern, one that lies perfectly smooth at the 
waist-line. It is made with three gores, the gores fastened 
together with lace insertion and edging. At the bottom of 
each gore is inserted a little lace flower. The gores are first 
hemmed (a very tiny hem) down the sides, and the lace is 
sewed on so far as to just cover the hem. The outline of 
the flower is traced on the lawn and the lace is basted in 
place, then sewed along its extreme outer edge to the lawn. 
After the wheels are made in the loops the lawn is cut away, 
leaving just enough seam to be turned in toward the lace 
and hemmed down. An apron of colored lawn in this style, 
with white lace, is charming, or white with yellow lace 
makes a pretty contrast. 

240 



Chapter XXIV 

HOME MILLINERY 

THE main points of millinery work are easily acquired 
with a little care and patience, and a girl who will give 
this care can have much prettier hats for the same cost 
than the girl who will not. As to fashions, they change, 
but the fundamental rules remain the same. 

You will notice that some seasons all hats have bandeaux. 
The hair must be wavy and full, and the hat, large or small, 
must set well up, so that the coiffure may not be crushed. 
Again, no bandeau is used. 

To make a covered turban, the brim-piece can be cut all 
in one, then folded over the edge, one cut edge plaited into 
the head size, the other caught down outside against the 
base of the crown after this has been covered. 

Fit a piece on the top of the crown first, allowing one-half 
inch to turn over the side, which sew down with a long 
back-stitch ; then fit a strip around the side crown, turning 
one-half inch in level with the top of the crown. Sew joins 
of both brim and side crown on the left where the bow 
comes. 

The silk must all be on the bias, the brim-strip measuring 
across enough to come from the head-line outside to inside 

241 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the crown, and in length the measure of the edge wire plus 
a turning in under the bow. In joining two bias strips take 
care that both shade the same way. Pull the side crown- 
piece so tight that it will cling; it should need no sewing 
except at the join. Such a hat will require one and one- 
eighth yards of silk with a heavy corded weave. A good 
bow will take three yards of ribbon. 

A bandeau may be used or not, according to the wearer's 
fancy ; if used, a bow or rosettes of the ribbon will be needed 
at the back. 

If made of liberty silk shirred, the brim and top of crown 
only need to be gathered. The work may be flat runners, 
pin tucks, or deeper tucks; if flat, it must be of bias silk; for 
tucks it may be bias or straight. Take the same measure- 
ments as for the plain coverings, then add to this for the tucks 
or fulness desired ; and when all runners are finished, draw 
up to shape, pin on frame, adjust the fulness, and sew on; 
last of all, fastening off all the runner threads. 

The lining must go into the hat before the bandeau, un- 
less this takes the place of the crown. Linings are put in 
in two ways: in felt and straw hats the stitches may be 
taken through, a tiny invisible stitch on the right side 
and a half - inch - long stitch inside; a velvet or silk hat, 
or one that has a facing of velvet or silk, has the lining 
put in with a ''top" or "pick-up" stitch (Fig. i). Measure 
off a strip of silk one inch longer than the circumference 
of the crown and two inches deeper than the depth. Along 
one edge run a narrow hem for the draw-ribbon. Begin at 
the back of hat, holding the lining with the raw edge just 
inside the turn of the crown; when sewed all round in either 

242 



HOME MILLINERY 



of the methods described, join up at the back, and run the 
ribbon into the hem with a short tape-needle ; sew it at the 
middle so that it cannot be pulled out, and cut off an inch 
beyond the lining at each end; do not draw it up till the 
hat is trimmed, but fold the lining down and put in a few 





Fig* t PUTTING IN THE LINING Fig* 5 MAKING LOOPS 





Fig* 3 — AN ALL-AROUND 
Fig* 2 — GATHERING THE LINING BANDEAU 




Fig* 4 A SIDE BANDEAU 




Fig* 6 — MAKING A RIBBON BOW 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



pins so it will be out of the way while trimming, as the hand 
has to be put inside the crown (Fig. 2). 

Now pin the bandeau in with large bead-head pins, try 
on till the most becoming effect is obtained, then sew with 
a strong thread and long stitches inside, hiding those that 
must come outside. Now sew on the trimmings. 

Bandeaux are usually necessary. They are of any form 
that the shape and garniture may necessitate, but usual- 
ly the all-around bandeau (Fig. 3) is most used. The 
band may be perfectly straight, or it may be shaped like 
the side of a sloping crown, and in either case it may be 
and usually is made deeper in one part than the other. 

If the head size of a hat is too large, it can be reduced 
to a fitting size by the bandeau; if it is too small, it can 
be enlarged by a sloped bandeau set in with the widest 
curve out. 

Having cut your bandeau out in buckram, sew wire 
around the edge with a long button-hole or "blanket'' 
stitch, lapping the ends two inches and sewing very firmly 
(Fig. 4). The band is then bound with a narrow, double 
strip of thin interlining muslin, and it is ready to cover. 

Bandeaux of all sizes and shapes, covered with black 
velvet, can be purchased ready to put in, and also the 
buckram forms which one can cover with velvet to match 
the hat. 

If the bandeau is straight along one edge, a strip of bias 
velvet can be folded over the straight edge and cut to shape 
on the curved edge with one-quarter-inch turnings; turn 
over and sew one edge, then pin and slip-stitch the other 
the same as in the fitted covering. 

244 



HOME MILLINERY 



Home millinery has been made easy by the ribbon de- 
partments of the shops making up bows of the ribbon pur- 
chased, but one often needs to use what one has, and know- 
ing how is a great advantage. 

A very handsome bow, suitable for various shapes, may 
be made large or small, of wide or narrow ribbon. Of five- 
inch ribbon take three yards, more of narrower, unless a 
smaller bow is desired. The ribbon should be, if possible, 
all in one piece. Begin with the short end falling down- 
ward (Fig.. 5), pinch it up four inches from the end, lay a 
loop upward six inches deep, now a short loop downward, 
then another upward a trifle longer than the first one. The 
end may be twisted around the bow and drawn through 
in a knot (Fig. 6). 

Summer Hats 

Much of the home-made millinery one sees bears unmis- 
takable evidence of its make when, by a little study and 
effort, it can be so correctly done that it will not ''tell 
tales," but will be equal to any Paris pattern, at probably 
less than half the cost. Summer hats are much easier to 
achieve than winter hats, and are dainty and interesting work. 

As most summer hats are of straw braid, learning to sew 
the straw should be the first step. There are two ways of 
sewing braid: one is over a frame, the other without sup- 
port of any kind, shaping the braid as one sews ; but this is 
difficult and not to be attempted at first. 

Select a becoming wire frame and the braid desired; if 
the braid is at all transparent, the frame must match, and 
as this is often difficult to obtain, an easy way out is to 

24s 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



get a little tube or pan of paint for a few cents, and with a 
camers-hair brush tint the frame. 

If the braid is very lacey, the frame will need also a cov- 
ering of some very sheer material, several layers of tulle 
for fine horsehair, or tarlatan for silk, peroxeline, and such 
fancy braids. On these coverings the braids may be run 
to represent tucks or frills, or they may be run flat down. 

Sewing braid on the frame is easiest for the beginner. 
If the braid is very soft and pliable, bind the edge wire with 
the first row, running the two edges together above the 
wire ; cut and turn in the end when the beginning is reached. 
Begin the second row a little to the left of the first, which 
is usually at the back, but should be where the trimming 
will hide it. Lay the edge of the braid level with edge of 
brim, but sew a little below, so the edge goes free. Take a 
tiny stitch on the surface of the braid, hiding it under one 
of the strands that cross each other, on the under side. 
Stretch the edge you are sewing as much as is possible with- 
out breaking it. When the end of this row is reached the 
braid may be carried over the beginning and the next row 
continued round, if the braid is an inch or less in width; 
but if wider, it must be cut ofif, turned in, and sewed 
down neatly. In neither case should the rows lap each 
other more than only just enough to sew them together, 
and the edge should always be stretched. If the braid 
is stiff and will not stretch, hold it straight and firm 
so not a bit more fulness than is unavoidable is permitted 
at the inner edge of each row. This fulness must be re- 
duced by running a strong, double thread into the edge 
and gently but firmly drawing it up so the braid conforms 

246 



HOME MILLINERY 



to the shape of the frame ; then sew on the next row, and 
catch as many stitches as possible to the wires. 

If your shape has a brim of equal width all round, an 
equal number of rows will cover the brim; but if this is 




Fig. to 




5i 




Fig. 8 

wider on one side, part rows are set in at the last, filling in 
the extra space, the cut ends being turned up against the 
crown. 

To sew the crown (Fig. 7), put a row around the upper 

247 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



edge the same as the brim, set another row fiat on top 
around the edge, passing the stitches inside the double row; 
go round in circles till the middle is reached, and finish with 
a neat twist. 

To cover the side of the crown, put the first row close up 
against the top row, slip-stitching the same as the top, and 
go round and round till the brim is reached. 

The under brim may be of straw braid, the same or a 
contrasting color; each row is "slip-stitched" on, the same 
as directed for the crown; or a facing of tulle folds or shirred 
effect of chiffon or silk muslin may be set under. 

If the braid is stiff, the edge rows are sewed to the wire 
with a buttonhole-stitch, half an inch long, on the wire, 
and an invisible stitch on the surface, letting the braid 
project half an inch beyond the wire; then proceed as be- 
fore directed. 

If the braid is very stiff or brittle, so that it refuses to 
conform to the necessary circles without cracking, immerse 
it for a few minutes in water, wipe dry, and sew; very deli- 
cate colors may be wrapped in cloths wrung out of w^ater 
and kept in this while sewing. 

This is the method of proceeding to make a hat of velvet, 
plain, covered over a buckram frame, with a "mob*' crown 
tied around the base with two twists of wide soft -finish 
ribbon, the two ends tied in a simple cravat bow apross the 
front. • 

To cover the frame of this hat, take a pattern in paper of 
the brim exactly, allowing no turnings ; cut out the head size 
also; mark pattern and hat correspondingly for back and 
front. If the shape is wider at one side than at the other, 

248 



HOME MILLINERY 



mark also "right" and "left." Place the pattern on velvet, 
so the front and back come exactly on the bias line. This 
is obtained by folding the velvet over cornerwise, crease 
lightly at the fold, open, pin on pattern, and cut out, 
allowing one-half inch turning all around, and one inch in- 
side the head size; snip this inch at three-quarter-inch in- 
tervals to the correct head-line. Unpin the pattern (after 
marking on the back in pencil or chalk corresponding to 
marks on pattern) , lay the cut velvet face to face on another 
comer of the velvet, taking care to get the bias as before, 
and cut out, marking the back the same as the first piece. 
In this way there is no danger of cutting two pieces for one 
side, and by putting mark to mark it is bound to fit. 

Next the frame edge is bound with thin crinoline cut in 
bias strips two inches wide. First a strip is folded to one 
inch wide ; this is stretched around the edge and basted on 
below the wire; next another strip, left single, is stretched 
over the first. The first is to cover the wire, the second is 
to sew to. 

Slip the top piece of velvet on over the crown; be sure 
you have the right piece, or it will not fit; pin in place, 
turn the half -inch margin over the edge, and pin to the 
crinoline binding — pins with heads down (Fig. 8) ; sew this 
edge to the muslin with one-quarter-inch stitch, passing the 
needle toward the edge. Now place the under brim in posi- 
tion according to the marks, pin all round at four-inch 
spaces, then turn in the edge level with edge of brim, pin 
closely as you go, heads up. The under edge is now "blind- 
stitched" to the upper one. Use No. 6 needle and A silk 
to match the velvet; the stitches must not be more than 

249 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



one-eighth of an inch in length. Take your stitches between 
the two edges, first below, then above, and draw evenly 
close as you work. 

The crown-piece is a round the same size as the brim- 
pieces; the edge is turned in and gathered round three 
times with three-quarter-inch spaces between. When done, 
pin this on the crown, the edge coming at the head-line; 
the three threads are drawn up, the fulness made even, 
though a little more may be thrown to the left side, and it 
is sewn on at the head-line. This makes neat the cut mar- 
gin of the brim at the head-line ; the inside snipped margin 
is sewn up inside the crown with the same line of stitches; 
the head-lining is put in next, after which the bandeau is 
set in. 

Bandeaux of various shapes and sizes can be bought, 
ready to put in, from five cents to twenty-five cents each, 
and can be covered, if necessary, with a bit of the velvet 
like the hat. 

The bandeau and hat should be adjusted on the head to 
get the correct pose, as the entire effect may depend on 
this. 

To put on a binding, cut two bias strips of velvet (you 
can buy them so) four inches wide through the bias; that 
will be one-third of a yard on the bias cut in two strips. 
Join two ends together, first cutting off the selvages, back- 
stitching with one-quarter-inch turnings. Take care in 
joining that the strips both shade the same way; one end 
is always right and one wrong (Fig. 9). Measure around 
the edge of the hat, cut enough off from the strip to make 
it measure four inches less than the edge, cut the end in 

250 



HOME MILLINERY 



line with selvage, and join the two ends. Slip this ring 
over the edge of the hat (which should have been previously 
wired and bound just as was the first frame) ; let the middle 
of the strip come at the edge of the brim, with both joinings 
at the back. Have it of equal depth above and below; 
turn in the two edges and pin and " blinds titch " to the hat, 
passing the needle through the brim back and forth, * ' blind- 
ing" down each side with alternate stitches (Fig. lo). In 
putting the lining in a felt hat the stitches may be taken 
through, one-half inch long inside, invisible outside. 



Chapter XXV 

EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 

THERE is lying beside me on the table as I write a 
sampler, worked in pink, green, blue, and dull purple- 
red silks, on which I read these wise sentences: ** Order is 
the first law of Nature and of Nature's God," "The moon, 
stars, and tides vary not a moment," and *'The sun knoweth 
the hour of its going down." Below, inclosed in a wreath 
of tambour- work,* are two words, "Appreciate Time." 
Under the first four alphabets (there are five in all) comes 
the date, "September 19, 1823," and in the lower corner 
another date, "October 24," when the square was com- 
pleted, with the name of the child who wrought it, long since 
grown to womanhood, and now nearly forty years dead, 
but there recorded, in pink silk cross-stitch, as "aged eight 
years." 

And these dainty stitches, set so exactly, assure me that 
the girls for whom I write are not too young to embroider 
neatly. Will you let its two mottoes remind you that a 
few moments carefully used each day will make you as 

* Tambour-work is a chain-stitch in which the thread is drawn up 
through the cloth by a hook. Muslins and thin cloths used to be em- 
broidered in this way. 

252 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



good needlewomen as your grandmothers were, and that 
your work boxes or baskets should be in such order that 
you can find your thimbles in the dark, and can tell each 
special shade of silk by lamplight? But I leave you to 
apply the mottoes for yourselves. 

If you are to begin work with me, will you buy a few 
needles and two or three shades of silk, of any given color, 
such as old-blue, dull mahogany, or pomegranate-reds, or 
old-gold shading into gold browns ? These are colors that 
will always be useful. 

First your silks must be prepared so they can be kept clean. 
Cut the skein across where it is tied double, and with a bodkin 




Fig.t 




Fig. 3 



and string, or with a long hair-pin, draw the skein into its 
case. This case (Fig. i) is made by folding together a long 
piece of thin cotton cloth a foot wide, and running parallel 
lines across its width half an inch or so apart. When the 
'7 253 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



silks are drawn in in groups — reds, blues, greens, yellows, 
each by themselves, carefully arranged as to shades — cut 
the upper end so you need not be tempted to use too long 
needlefuls, and there your skeins are neatly put away, and 
soon you can distinguish any shade by its position in the 
case, no matter how deceptive the lamplight may be. 
Still, you will not need your case till you have a dozen dif- 
ferent colors. If you buy your silks at first by the dozen, 
w^hich is the cheaper way, be sure that your pinks, blues, 
greens, etc., have, so far as may be, a yellowish tone. Re- 
member that yellow is the color of sunlight, and that with- 
out it your work will look cold and lifeless; and always 
avoid vivid greens and reds. 

First learn the stem-stitch, and you can practise on any 
bit of coarse linen or crash. Draw a line with a pencil (see 
dotted line, Fig. 2) ; then put your needle in at the back, 
bringing it out at i ; then put it in at 3 , taking up on the 
needle the threads of cloth from 3 to 2, so making a stitch 
that is long on the upper but short on the under side of 
your cloth. The needle points toward you, but your work 
runs from you, and you put in the needle to the right of 
your thread. When you wish a wide stem, slant your 
stitches across the line; if it must be narrow, take up the 
threads exactly on the line, or you can make two or more 
rows of stem-stitch where you wish the line broadened. 

Stem-stitch can be used by beginners in many ways. 
Squares of duck, fringed out on the edges, and overcast or 
hemstitched, can have simple borders or stripes of any 
desired width worked in this stitch (Fig. 3). You can draw 
the lines yourself ^vith a pencil and ruler; those lines which 

254 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



slant in one direction may be worked in one shade, those 
slanting in the opposite direction in another shade. The 
heavier lines can be worked with double thread, and these 
squares make very pretty tidies to protect the arms of 
chairs. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are set patterns that can be used 





Fig. 5 



Fig. 6 

for borders upon doilies, towels, or table-covers. They 
should be worked with silk, fine or heavy, according to the 
quality of the linen or other stuffs used. Stem-stitch is the 
foundation of good modern embroidery, and we must not 
go on with the building until this foundation is laid. 



OtJtImc Pictures 

Whenever you find any pretty outline pictures, whether 
figures, flowers, or little slate pictures, see if they can be 
used for stem-stitch embroidery. They are just what you 

255 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



want for doilies, and it will be much pleasanter for you to 
find your own designs. Doilies can be cut from eight to 
twelve inches square, and they should be worked and pressed 
before fringing. Doilies for common use are made of 
coarse linen or duck, white or gray, and are worked in silk 
or embroidery cottons. Either red, blue, or brown cotton 
will wash well. Dainty doilies, only intended to keep 
very choice china from being scratched by the finger-bowls, 
are made of exquisitely fine linen, first washed to remove 
the dressing, and wrought in silks that have been scalded. 
Fine sewing silk, a single strand of letter D button-hole 
twist (this silk is twisted of three strands), or a single 
thread of ''filoselle," or filling silk, are good for this work. 
For your first half-dozen doilies in coarse linen or duck, 
get your little sister's set of slate pictures: a coffee-pot, a 
clock — any picture will do, no matter what it is, so long 
as the lines are few and simple, and tell their own story. 
You want every one to see instantly that your pear with 
two leaves is a pear, and not a pumpkin. Of course you 
cannot see to trace the design through your thick linen, 
so trace it off neatly on a piece of thin paper, and prick 
the lines of your tracing carefully with a fine needle. Place 
this pricked pattern, rough side uppermost, in the middle 
or in one corner of your linen, just where it will look best, 
not forgetting to allow for fringe. Then rub a little char- 
coal powder over the pricked pattern with a wad of soft 
cotton-wool. Lift off the tracing carefully, and follow the 
dotted charcoal lines with a soft, sharp pencil or with a 
pen dipped in liquid bluing. Don't smudge your work by 
resting your hand on the charcoal powder. When you have 

256 ^ 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



drawn over all the lines, blow off the powder, and rap the 
linen smartly on the back two or three times to get thor- 
oughly rid of the charcoal. If you know how to draw, 
so much the better; trust your eye, and do away with 
tracings altogether. 

The coarse pictures of which I have been speaking look 
best when worked in but one or two colors at the most. 
If you like Japanese pictures, as I hope you do, you can 
make a set of birds (Fig. 7), worked all in one color, or of 




little figures (Fig. 8) in bright-colored silks. You can find 
such designs in Japanese drawing-books for sale at the 
Japanese shops, on advertisement cards, or on fans. 



The New England Stitch 

The Pilgrim women who sailed in the Mayflower brought 
with them the very old stitch, a magnified view of which is 
given in Fig. 9. I have seen a picture wrought by one of 
these same Pilgrim mothers — rows of houses and trees 

257 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig.U 



something like Fig. lo (you could any of you draw better), 
with a meeting-house in the middle; but the houses and 
trees were a marvel of crewel-work, the background of silk, 
all in this ancient stitch, which is also found in old Persian 
and Turkish embroidery. I know an old lady who has used 
it from her childhood, who calls it "pocket-book" stitch; 
it is really a kind of "fagotting," and there are remnants of 
old petticoats and curtains still to be found in out-of-the- 
way country towns of New England, exquisitely worked in 
this most economical of stitches, wliich, for convenience, T 
shall call the New England stitch. Turn the work over and 

258 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



you will see how eco- 
nomical the stitch is: 
all the silk, except just 
enough at the outline 
to catch in the stuff, 
shows on the upper side. 
By pushing your needle 
first toward you and 
then from you, as seen 
in Fig. II, you get that 
pretty twisted look 
which you see very 
much enlarged in Fig. 9. 
The design here given 
(Fig. 12) is suitable for 
a bureau-cover or cur- 
tain. For a bureau- 
cover take Russia crash, 
allow twelve inches to 
hang over each side, he- 
sides enough for fringe. 
Three flowers like the 
two inFig. 1 2 are enough 
for crash of ordinary 
width. Trace off the 
pattern on a piece of 
paper, repeat the left- 
hand flower at X, stop- 
ping at R, and omitting 
the spray marked S, 




Fig.tZ 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



You can finish off the stem at R if you prefer. When 
your pattern is all ready on the paper, trace it on the 
crash, in the middle of the twelve inches, according to 
directions given on page 256. This can be worked accord- 
ing to the directions given below, in New England stitch, 
or in three shades of one color, in either New England or 
stem-stitch, following the same gradations of color. 

Colors 

A, very light yellow-green; B and C, darker shades; a, 
very light salmon-pink; b and c, darker shades; /, light 
yellow; n, old-gold; m, an intermediate shade of yellow. 

Every other flower might be worked in old-blues. 

Darning Backgrounds 

One of the most exquisite pieces of embroidery I ever 
saw was brought from the Royal School of Art Needle- 
work at South Kensington. This was a sofa pillow of soft, 
yellow India silk, with the design outlined, and the rest of 
the surface darned back and forth in a rich old-gold color. 
A few lines of pale pink veined the petals, and there was a 
narrow border of dull golden-brown that inclosed the whole. 
The only stitch used was simply an irregular darning stitch. 
The work was so charming and so easy that any young girl 
would enjoy doing it. It would be a very pretty way of 
embroidering work-bags. Something near the color of a 
light-yellow nasturtium would be best. Get a piece eight 
inches square, trace on it the design of Fig. 14, and back 

260 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



the silk with a piece of soft, very thin unbleached muslin, 
and overcast the edges. Buy a skein or two of old-gold 
filoselle of a somewhat darker shade than your silk, or a 
good bronze-color that harmonizes well with it. First run 
the outline of your flowers in the dark yellow or bronze, 
and the shading lines, taking up but few threads of the 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRL S 

silk with your needle, so that the outline will show strong 
and plain on the surface. Outline the leaves and stems 
in a dull, not too dark, green. Take two or three threads 
from a strand of filoselle in your needle at once, and do not 
take too long a needleful. Then darn the background back 
and forth, making the threads run parallel to each other, 
but with constant variation as to the length of stitch and 
the closeness of the lines. 

The background could be darned in slightly varying 
shades of yellow. The irregularity in stitch, in closeness of 
the lines, and in shade, all help to give the work a very 
antique look. A narrow border can be darned all around 
of another color that will not contrast too sharply with the 
flowers or the background. 

General Principles 

The stitch is not the all-important part of embroidery. 
No matter how even and true the stitches, if the color or 
design is poor, the work will not be artistic. You wish any 
one who picks up your work to know at a glance that 
it is not the handiwork of an ignorant girl, but of a culti- 
vated little lady, and it is by the design and colors you 
choose that you show whether your eye and taste have had 
good training. 

Silks 

The greens of nature are a great deal grayer and duller 
than those you will be likely to choose at first. As for 
design: In the shops you will find, perhaps, stamped on a 

262 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



single table-cover daisies, buttercups, cat-tails, clover, 
wild roses, and grasses, a confused and irregular mass; 
leave out all but one, keep your clover, for example, and 
only the leaf of that. Take a real clover leaf, lay it on a 
piece of paper, and trace it off, with a closed leaf perhaps 
crossing the stem ; then stamp a row of these, three or four 
inches apart, across the ends of a piece of crash or linen for 
a little stand-cover, and draw lines for a finish above and 
below, as in Fig. 15. Match the color of the leaf as nearly 



^„. 




Fig.t5 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 

as possible in silk, and then work around the outer edge of 
the leaf, taking a long and then a shorter stitch (see A), so 
that the stitches will be even on the edge of the leaf, but ir- 
regular on the inside, and all point toward the stem; leave 
the light space, and beginning at the stem, work a few lines 
of stem-stitch radiating from the stem, with a few extra 
stitches filled in where the lines spread apart. A good way 
to fill in these extra stitches is to bring the needle back, 
pointing toward the stem as at B. Afterward fill in the 
light space by putting the needle in and out, pointing the 
stitches toward the stem, but taking them irregularly ac- 
cording to the space. 

Simple Patterns 

For a plain bureau a scarf covering is perhaps as pretty 
as any, and it should be embroidered at the ends, or some 
simple figure could be scattered over it. But for bureaus 
that have boxes on either side a square or oblong piece of 
crash or round-thread linen is the simplest and most useful 
cover, as it can be readily washed ; and this, with a cushion 
cover to match, any young girl can make. Nothing is re- 
quired but a piece of crash of a quality costing about twenty- 
five cents a yard, and a few soft shades of floss. Cut the 
linen exactly the right size to fit the opening before the 
glass; allow an inch for fringe if it is to be overcast or 
hemstitched, an inch and a half if tied in tiny knots, which 
can be made easily with the aid of a crochet hook. The 
fringe should be ravelled out last of all, after the embroidery 
is completed. DraW in the four corners the designs i, 2, 3, 
and 4 (Fig. 16). 

264 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 




Fig. t6 

Work the border lines and stems in stem-stitch, the leaves 
and flowers in long stitches, letting the stitches run in the 
direction of the shading lines. The pin-cushion cover should 
be made in the same way, with border lines, and design 
No. 5 in the centre, and it should be cut large enough, so 
that the fringe at the corners will touch the bureau. The 
whole should be worked either in three shades of one color, 

265 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



or the border lines, leaves, and stems can be worked in 
three shades of olive or sage greens, and the flowers in pink, 
blue, and yellow. Let the outer bordering line be the 
darkest. 

Pretty and useful tray-covers can be made in the same 
way of small pieces of crash fringed at the two ends or all 




■^^'^^'^X'^^^^ ^ 




Fig. t7 

around, with these little designs in the corners, but without 
the centre figure, which would be covered by the cups and 
without the border lines, which make a little too much color 
for table use. The more carefully the fringe is finished, the 

266 



EMBROIDERY FOR GIRLS 



prettier the work will look. Pre.ss on the wrong side with 
a warm iron, laying the work over folds of soft flannel. 



A Chinese Design 

Among a collection 
of articles that had been 
brought from China, I 
once saw a beautiful 
scarlet cape. It was 
stiff with embroidery, 
which seemed at first 
sight to be very elabo- 
rate and difficult; but 
on examining it I saw 
that the intricate pat- 
tern, which went wav- 
ing and curving all 
over the garment, was 
all wrought in the sim- 
plest of stitches — so 
simple, in fact, that a 
mere child might have 
done it. 

First a line was work- 
ed in stem-stitch, as at 
the line i, 2, in Fig. 17, 
and then stitches were 
taken each side of the 
line, giving a feathery 
effect, as seen in Fig. 18. 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



These stitches should be taken first on the right side of the 
line, making a long stitch on the upper side of the cloth and 
a short one below, working from you, and then the stitches 
should come down on the left side of the line, working 
toward you, as shown at C and D (Fig. i8). I know of 
no stitch so easy as this, and none more effective for the 
amount of work. The petals of the little flowers are made 
by a single stitch, like a chain-stitch (E, Fig. i8), then the 
needle is pushed through the cloth and brought out on the 
under side, thus making a little point to each petal. This 
is the easiest and prettiest way to work daisy petals. 

This design (Fig. i8) would be pretty for a border to a 
linen apron, worked in two shades of silk, the lines darker 
than the little feathery rays or flowers. It would also do 
well as a border for any kind of tea-cloth or bureau-cover, 
and could be worked very rapidly. 

It should be an inch and a half or two inches from the 
edge, and it can be done by a girl ten years old as easily as 
by one of twenty, if the lines are only ruled, which can be 
done with a colored pencil (yellow) , or with a piece of chalk. 



Part IV 
GIFTS 



Chapter XXVI 

HINTS TO SANTA GLAUS 

AS the merry days of Christmas draw near, busy heads 
iV are teeming with plans for gifts. Every way one 
turns one hears: ''What shall I get for So-and-so?" "Oh, 
do tell me what such a one would like?" A few hints re- 
garding the choice of presents will not be amiss. One of 
the great points to remember is that the intrinsic value of a 
thing has little or nothing to do with the pleasure it gives. 
An expensive or showy article, which does not suit the in- 
dividual taste of the recipient, does not give the pleasure 
that is yielded by a simple inexpensive thing that shows 
the loving thought and remembrance bestowed upon it by 
the giver. When selecting a gift, therefore, bear in mind 
the special likes and dislikes of the friend for whom it 
is intended. If the person's room be furnished in a 
delicate shade of blue, don't have any red on her pres- 
ent, no matter how much you may like the shade your- 
self. 

Some of the articles mentioned below call for a design 
for ornamentation. Do not be discouraged if you cannot 
paint in oils or water-colors. A little gilt paint, or even 
pen and ink or sepia, will often answer the purpose just 

271 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



as well. And as for designs, they need not be original. 
They can be found in any illustrated book, and should be 
chosen for their simplicity as much as for beauty. Even 
if you cannot cOpy them in any other way, they can be 
traced. Where mottoes are required, do them in gilt with 
a very fine brush, choosing an irregular type of letters, so 
that occasional slips will not be so evident. Where the 
mottoes are to be embroidered on ribbon or silk, trace the 
motto in lead-pencil first, and then go over the tracing with 
silk in outline stitch. 

If your pocket-money is limited, silkoline in a delicate 
pattern will be just as pretty as silk, and plain brown linen 
may be often substituted for more expensive materials. 

Button's Chum 

This very useful sewing contrivance has for its founda- 
tion a piece of pliable cardboard, or, better still, buckram 
or canvas, which is covered with silk or ribbon. Its size 
should be ten by two and a half inches. Ribbon in two 
colors forms the prettiest effect. In the middle, near the 
top, sew a large hook, and on the opposite edge an eye to 
match, or form a loop of coarse silk. This eye or loop is 
intended to catch on the hook. On the part that turns up 
the words "Button's Chum" may be embroidered in fanciful 
lettering. Within the cardboard place a large spool of 
heavy linen thread. Run baby-ribbon through the spool, 
and tie it on the outside of the card. A few stitches must 
keep the baby-ribbon in position, otherwise the spool might 
be displaced when in use. Accompanying this gift may 

272 



HINTS TO SANTA CLAUS 



be a bag of chamois or silk containing a number of the 
coarse buttons of which every one is constantly in need. 
(Fig. I.) 

A Toy for the Baby 

For a baby an interesting toy may be made of walnut 
shells. Put the halves in pairs, and by means of small 
holes drilled in the edges with a hot hair - pin sew the 





Fig. 2 




Fig. t 

halves together. Then through the middle of each nut 
thus formed drill a somewhat larger hole. Through this 
is passed a fine cord. As soon as a nut is strung on the 
cord, secure it in position with a knot tied in the cord. 
The intervals between the nuts may be long or short, ac- 

273 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



cording to taste. If desired, a few jingling bells, such 
as are used for horse-reins, may be mixed in with the nuts. 
The ends of the cord should be securely fastened, and baby 
will have a necklace that he can jingle. 

A Soft Worsted Ball 

Another plaything for baby is a soft woolly ball for 
use indoors. Cut two circles of cardboard an inch larger in 
diameter than you wish the finished ball to be. Make in 
the centre a large circular hole. Supposing your circle 
of cardboard to be six inches in diameter, the hole should be 
about three and a half inches in diameter. Thread a needle 
with the largest double needleful of worsted that you can 
conveniently use. Lay the two circles together and sew 
over and over this ring. Two or three colors may be used. 
When one needleful is used, take another, and continue filling 
in the centre until it is really impossible to get the needle 
through again. With a pair of sharp scissors cut the worsted 
all around the edge of the cardboard. The ends will fly 
up into a fluffy ball. With strong twine, tie tightly round 
and round the middle, between the two pieces of cardboard; 
fasten the ends securely. Cut away as much of the card- 
board as you can. The twine ought to be strong enough 
to keep the ball in shape, but a tiny rim of the cardboard 
may be left if desired. At this stage the ball will not be 
perfectly round, and will have irregular lengths of worsted 
protruding from it. Round the ball with a pair of scissors 
until it appears perfectly spherical. The clippings may be 
kept to stuff pincushions or hair-pin receivers. (Fig. 2.) 

274 



HINTS TO SANTA GLAUS 



Perfumed Linings for BareatJ Drawers 

After secretly procuring the exact measure of all mother's 
bureau drawers, cut two layers of cotton batting to fit each 
one. These are then generously besprinkled with the finest 
kind of powdered orris-root (the perfume of the best orris- 
root most resembling that of violets). These are covered 
neatly with pale blue silkoline or India silk, in a dainty 
pattern of trailing flowers. The edges are ornamented with 
brier stitch, and the whole is tufted at regular intervals with 
tiny bows of ribbon. For each of these linings procure four 
little thumb-tacks, such as are used to attach drawing- 
paper to a drawing-board. These are intended to secure 
the downy linings to the bottom of the drawers. 

Photograph or Mttsic Rack 

You can make a rack for photographs or music of a light 
wire gridiron, bending back the handles in opposite directions 
in such a manner that they will form a support for the 
gridiron when it is opened at an angle of forty-five degrees. 
Ribbons are woven in and out of the wires forming the 
gridiron, and they are fastened off with the help of a few 
stitches. (Fig. 3.) 

Miniature ''Crates" for Bonbons 

These little "crates" (Figs. 4 and 5) are made to simulate 
in every respect the large crates of the wholesale fruit trade. 
They can be made of a size to hold either a half-pound, a 

275 



HANDY. BOOK FOR GIRLS 



pound, or two pounds of confectionery. A half-pound crate 
should have about the capacity of a coffee-cup. This will 
give an idea as to size. For the round one cut a circle from 
a thin bit of wood, using dividers and a jack-knife. Then 
make rough little strips for the sides, fastening them to the 

... •'k 



..I'-'i, 



I 





Fig. 4 



Fig* 5 



bottom with round-headed furniture-tacks. From some 
old cast-aside basket get a long strip of splint wood, and, 
splitting it in two parts, make hoops for the centre and top. 
Draw a bit of silk tightly over the top of the bonbons, and 
around the edges tie a piece of baby-ribbon, having the silk 
and ribbon to match in color or to harmonize well. The 
square crate is made of similar material put together in 
rectangular form. Both crates should have real little tags, 
with the name and address of the one for whom they are 
intended. 

A Star-Shaped Paper Box 

To make this box, cut two stars from a thin bit of wood, 
to serve as the foundation for the top and the bottom. An 
outline of a five-pointed star is obtained in the following 
manner ; With a pair of dividers draw a circle of the required 

276 



HINTS TO SANTA CLAUS 



size, and lay it off with the dividers into five equal parts. 
Keep setting the dividers and trying the points upon the 
circle until the distance from point to point will just go about 
the circle with five turns. Then from each point draw a 
straight line to the next point but one. This is plainly shown 
in Fig. 6 having the five points, A, B, C, D, and E. Take 
the two wooden stars and cover one side of each neatly with 
the paper to be used in making the box, pasting it neatly on 
and trimming the edges. The star to be used for the top 
will have the paper side up, while the one to be used for the 
bottom of the box will have the paper side down. Now cut 
strips of the paper for sides of top and body of the box. 
These can be any width desired, according to the depth to 



be given the box. The strips must be long enough to go en- 
tirely around the stars, following their indentations. At 
each point and inner angle crease the strips as they are 

277 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



fastened to the wooden top and bottom, to give a neat ap- 
pearance to the sides. Fasten the strips to the wood, either 
with glue or with small round-headed brass tacks. If the 
latter are used, a bit of baby-ribbon can be first stretched 
about the edges and the tacks put in through it. This will 
give a finish to the edges. 




Fig* 7 




Fig. 8 



When the box has been filled it can be tied up with some 
of the same ribbon, as shown in Fig. 7. 



A Circtilar Paper Box 

This box may be broad and low, or small in circumfer- 
ence and high, just as one pleases. Decide upon the size 
of the box, and then cut two circles from a thin bit of wood 
of the diameter desired. Cover these on one side with the 
paper, for top and bottom. Let the top circle be just a grain 
larger than the other, for the cover must fit over the body 
of the box. Decide upon the height of both cover and box 
proper, and cut strips of paper to that width, and of a length 

27S 



HINTS TO SANTA CLAUS 



to correspond with the circumference of the top and bottom, 
allowing a half-inch extra in length for the joint that must 
be made, up and down. This joining can most effectively 
be done by cutting slips along the two edges of the paper, 
and running a bit of narrow baby-ribbon through them, with 
a bow near the top, as shown in the cut. The paper is fas- 
tened to the top and bottom by small round-headed brass 
tacks. (Fig. 8.) 

A variety of boxes can be made after this plan by simply 
varying the size and the proportions. 

Square Box with Cover Attached 

The paper box shown in Fig. lo is made from a single sheet 
of paper, and is cut out according to Fig. 9. The paper is 
cut on the solid lines and folded on the dotted lines. The 
sides fold together, and the flap on one is pasted inside the 




r/a/b 



BoHom 

Fig. 9 



>>4o"T 




Fig. to 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



edge of the front. The flaps at the lower ends of the sides 
paste inside the bottom when the latter is turned up. The 
flap on the bottom pastes inside the front piece. When 
filled, the box is closed with narrow ribbon, as suggested. 
It can be made any size desired, bearing in mind that front, 
sides, and back are to have the sam.e width. 

Ribbon Favors 

Many useful and attractive articles may be fashioned from 
ribbons. Even fingers unaccustomed to the needle are 
tempted to turn the pretty strips of silk to account at the 
season of universal gift-making; while the deft needle- 
woman makes every scrap tell in the dainty trifles with 
which she enriches her friends at Christmas-tide. 

Three-quarters of a yard of wide ribbon will make one 
of those bags that every girl or woman likes to keep near at 
hand. Indeed, one might write a chapter on bags alone, to 
so many uses have they been put. In one of these flowered 
ribbon puffs there may be a bit of embroidery, some fine 
lingerie, or lace- work — portions of that "pick-up work" 
which most women keep at hand to sew on at odd moments ; 
or it may be that the humble dust-cloth hides within the 
folds, ready to wipe away some spot that has been left by a 
careless or hurried housemaid. If one is making up for lost 
moments, Christmas having crept upon one almost un- 
awares, these small bags may prove a grateful suggestion; 
they are so easily made, three or four being possible in an 
afternoon's work. 

280 



HINTS TO SANTA GLAUS 



A Holder for Ribbons 

A little puff that might be classed under the name of 
' * bag ' ' holds the baby-ribbon now almost universally used 
in the lace and edging of undergarments. (Fig. 1 1 .) This 
takes a pasteboard disk two inches in diameter, a brass up- 
holstery ring one inch in diameter, three-quarters of a yard 
of ribbon five inches wide, and about a yard and a quarter 
of ribbon half an inch wide. The disk is covered with the 
wide ribbon; three inches serves for covering, and the 
remainder, two-thirds of a yard, is fastened together on 
the ends, and gathered on one selvage edge to the disk; the 
other edge must be gathered to the brass ring, which has 
been carefully buttonholed over with embroidery silk the 
shade of the ribbon. With the addition of two buttonholed 
loops that are sewed in the bottom of the disk for holding 
the fiat bone bodkin the work on the pretty trifle is finished. 
There yet remains, however, the filling of the puff with 
baby-ribbon. This must be run off of the spool and put in 
an untangled mass that will easily pull loose inside the bag, 
before the little gift is ready for its place among the dainty 
Christmas packages. This bag possesses an added virtue, 
too. It may be sent by mail in a good-sized square envelope, 
obviating the expense and bother of an express package. 

Needle-Books and Utility Bags 

There are numbers of ways to utilize ribbon, in making 
needle-books, and thread-and-needle receptacles for the 
travelling bag, or for hanging near the dressing-table, pro- 

281 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



viding just at hand the utensils for taking that stitch in time 
which so surely saves nine. For one of these use a half- 
yard of Dresden ribbon and a half-yard of plain ribbon about 
three inches and a half wide. (Fig. 12.) Stitch them care- 




Fig. tt 



Fig.n 




Fig. J3 ^ 

fully together, the plain ribbon serving as a lining to the 
figured. About two inches down from the ends run a line 
of feather-stitching across to form a small pocket for hold- 
ing buttons ; hem the ends and run baby-ribbon through for 

282 



HINTS TO SANTA GLAUS 



drawing up closely. Nick a bit of fine white flannel for 
holding needles of three or four sizes and fasten it just in the 
middle of the strips. On this flannel put two spools of 
thread or silk, black and white, and one of twist; run baby- 
ribbon through them and fasten it tightly with tiny bows to 
the edge of the ribbon band, and shoe or glove buttons or an 
unsightly rent may be taken care of in travelling, for the 
handy little bag may be rolled up and tucked into a small 
corner of the travelling-bag. 

There are always the more elaborate sewing-bags with the 
stiff bottom and the gathered top drawn together with 
cords or ribbons. They are fitted up with pincushions, 
needle-books, and scissors, and serve to keep delicate work 
clean and fresh. While very useful and decorative, they 
take patience and accuracy in the making, and any woman 
who sews feels deeply appreciative of such a gift. Out of a 
quarter of a yard of figured ribbon, perhaps a ''left-over," 
one may fashion one of those pretty old-fashioned ' ' tomato ' ' 
pincushions for hat-pins, or to tuck into the travelling-bag 
to use in one's room at hotels for pins. And ribbon-covered 
squares of pasteboard fastened by a band of ribbon elastic 
serve to hold fresh handkerchiefs in compact and con- 
venient form while travelling. 

Ribbon-Covered Boxes 

Next to the bags are the boxes covered with ribbon, and 
one need not be a needlewoman to be able to make exceed- 
ingly pretty gifts out of the combination of box and ribbon. 
(Fig. 17,.) The work demands, however, deft fingers, care 

283 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



in measurement, and exquisite accuracy in securing a fit for 
covering and lining. When the bottom of the box, inside 
and out, and the top of the lid inside are duplicated with 
pasteboard thin and firm and a trifle smaller, and covered 
with the lining fabric, then the work becomes easy, for all of 
the covering and linings are pasted down firmly under these 
duplicates, which go on as a final finish to cover unsightly 
edges. The outside cover of the box must have a thin pad- 
ding of cotton wadding, and one side of the lid must be 
broken off. The inner lining of the box is then pasted up 
tightly to the inner top of the lid, and the outer covering of 
the lid is pasted down firmly to the bottom of the outside 
of the box, providing the hinge. Narrow ribbons are some- 
times used as ties, or a little bow is placed in front as a lift 
for the lid, but this seems superfluous. Many women keep 
shirt-waists and delicate bodices in the covered boxes, which 
generally carry a delicate scent under the lining; indeed, so 
universal is the use of the boxes for waists and fragile bodies 
that light standing- racks are made to hold either four or six 
of them. The racks may be made by any carpenter, and 
painted the prevailing color of the room where they stand. 
Similar racks are also made for the covered bonnet-boxes 
which drop at the side for the removal of the bonnet instead 
of by lifting off the lid. 



Chapter XXVII 

EASTER FAVORS 

THE charming old custom of giving presents on Easter 
morning is coming into more general use every year. 
Many dainty gifts can be made by the clever little fingers at 
home. Flowers and butterflies, emblems of the resurrection, 
are the favorite decorations for sachets and other favors. The 
flowers used should be white — ^the color of innocence and 
purity. Lilies are the first choice, then white pansies, roses, 
daffodils, daisies, azaleas, carnations, jonquils, and violets. 
Palm branches (typifying victory) may be painted with a 
Latin cross of gold. 

The lithographed cards so much liked a few years ago 
have had their day, but many painted ones are still sent 
to distant friends. A little girl can fashion a lovely sou- 
venir by pressing four or five pansies under a heavy weight 
for a week, and pasting them, when dry, on a gilt-edged card. 
They will retain their colors, and look like a painted bouquet. 

A book-mark (Fig. i) is easily made by cutting off the 
corner of a linen-lined envelope. On this paint a butter- 
fly gorgeous in scarlet, black, and gold. Make the an- 
tennae of wire. When in use it is slipped over the corner 
of the page. 

19 285 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Fancy Easter Eggs 

Of Easter eggs there is an endless variety. Here are a 
few new ones: 

Take a duck egg, empty the contents through a hole in 
the large end; trim the edges of the opening evenly with 
scissors; put a spoonful of water in a cup; sift plaster of 
Paris into it until it begins to stiffen. Fill the lid of a 



Fiff.^ 




Fig. 2 



EASTER FAVORS 



pill-box with it, and gently press the small end of the egg 
on it — just enough to keep the shell upright. Leave till the 
next day to harden; then if the shell is loose, glue it fast. 
Choose a shallow pill-box about two inches wide. Gild the 
base or cover with moss. On Easter morning place at the 
plate of each member of the family one of these ''flower- 
holders," with two or three pansies or rosebuds. (Fig. 2.) 

A large egg which has both ends of the same size will 
make a novel jewel-casket (Fig. 3). Cut a large open- 
ing in the side. Mount with the plaster on an oval or 
diamond-shaped box. Take a narrow strip of stiff paper, 
make a ring of it exactly fitting the inside of the egg. 
Glue to this a bag of silk deep enough to reach the 
bottom of the egg; before fastening this in place put in a 
piece of cotton sprinkled with orris-root. If the edge of 
the shell is uneven, glue a bit of chenille over it. Five 
cents' worth of plaster (the kind used by masons for white 
walls) will be enough. Use stratena or hot white glue. 

An Eggfal of Candies 

A bonbon bag (Fig. 4) is always a delight to children 
when filled with minute candies. Break a hole the size of 
a quarter in the large end of an egg. Glue a bag two inches 
deep on the outside, covering the raw edge with a row of 
gilt paper stars (to be found in any toy-shop). Run two 
pieces of knitting silk in for drawing-strings. Decorate 
with hawthorn if the egg is dark. Put violets or peach 
blossoms on a white egg. 

A sachet of pale blue or pink silk may be decorated with 

287 




DESIGNS FOR EASTER SOUVENIRS 



EASTER FAVORS 



an embroidered spray of white Chinese primroses (Fig. 5). 
Make a fancy bow of soft ribbon, baste in place, and sew 
the edges down neatly. 

The butterflies (Fig. 6) can also be painted or worked 
in outline on a sachet. The design of white azaleas (Fig. 
7) is suitable for painting on a three-cornered sachet 
shaped like a fan. The sticks of the fan must be indicated 
with gold paint, or it would be effective in white and gold 
on a satin fan. Fans are sold at a reasonable rate in the 
large dry-goods stores all ready for painting. 



Part V 
OUT-OF-DOORS 



Chapter XXVIII 

HOME-MADE HAMMOCKS 

WHEREVER the summer sojourn may be, a hammock 
or two of one's own, to be slung in some shady nook, 
more or less secluded from the hotel or farmhouse or camp, 
adds greatly to its pleasure; but a difficulty in the way of 
including this comfort in the impedimenta of the summer 
exodus is the bulkiness of the bought hammock — and often 
the exceeding ugliness of any but the more expensive kinds. 
However, a little time, about sixty cents for material, and 
not more skill and patience than the average girl of twelve 
possesses, will serve to construct a hammock far more com- 
fortable, durable, and ''sightly" than any to be bought for 
five times the money, and which, moreover, may be left 
out in the rain without misgiving, or sent to the tub, if 
soiled, as safely as a towel. Its best advantage, though, 
for the summer wayfarer, lies in the fact that it may be 
folded perfectly flat, and three or four might be laid at the 
bottom of one's trunk, taking up no appreciable space. 

First decide how long you wish your hammock to be: 
the baby may have his own tiny one, three and a half or 
four feet in length, if you like, and two and a half yards of 
material will furnish one of ample size for a tall man. Let 

293 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



us suppose this to be the length decided upon; and having 
bought two and a half yards of eight-ounce cotton duck, a 
spool or ball of linen thread, a bit of beeswax, and two 
ordinary harness rings, we proceed to make our hammock 
as follows: 

How to Make It 

Turn down a four- inch hem at each end of the length of 
material, w^ax your thread, and back-stitch — "big stitches" 
will do — this firmly down, after having turned in a liberal 
half-inch to afford a good ''hold." An inch and a quarter 
nearer the end run a second line of back-stitching — stout 
machine-stitching with heavy thread will do; but hand- 
stitching with waxed thread is much stronger, and the 
waxing protects the thread from rain. Your hammock 
now looks like a curtain with a hem and rod-casing at each 
end. Smooth out each end in turn on the table, and in 
the inch-and-a-quarter space draw five circles — a cent or 
a thimble gives the right size to run your pencil around — 
one at each side, one exactly in the middle, and one exactly 
in the middle of each space between. The circles at the 
sides should be not less than an inch and a quarter from 
the selvage, to allow for differences in the length of barrel- 
staves, which are to be the "spreaders" — but we haven't 
come to those yet. 

Again take your waxed thread and stitch once, or run 
twice, around each pencilled circle, through the two thick- 
nesses of duck, which are then cut away, not too close to 
the stitching, leaving a large eyelet ready to be worked. 
Lay a loop of waxed heavy twine around the eyelet, and 

294 



HOME-MADE HAMMOCKS 



over this work as closely and firmly as you can, with waxed 
thread — exactly as you would make an eyelet in embroid- 
ery, only on a gigantic scale. 

Your hammock is now ready to be folded fiat and laid 
in your trunk, unless you wish to add a valance, which is 
easily done by stitching (on the machine) a foot-wide strip 
of the same material or of colored denim, or by knotting a 
fringe of colored cord (at five cents a ball) along each selvage 
— but these attempts at ornamentation only increase the 
bulk as well as the cost. When you have reached your 
destination, any village or ''cross-roads store" can supply 
two narrow barrel-staves— which, shaved down a little for 
smoothness' sake, are run into the broad hems at the ends 
— and a sixty-foot length of braided cotton clothes-line 
(cost, fifteen cents). This is cut in half, and each half into 
five six-foot lengths, to be waxed, doubled, and each put 
through an eyelet in a firm slip-knot, enclosing the ''spread- 
er." The ends of all five double lines are then gathered 
together and put smoothly through a harness ring, below 
which they are wound firmly with waxed twine. Repeat 
this process at the other end, and the hammock is ready to 
be slung. 



Chapter XXIX 

AT THE SEA-SHORE 

WHEN visiting the sea-shore for the purpose of gather- 
ing sea-weeds, or to learn something of their modest 
and simple lives, it will be noticed that twice in every 
twenty- four hours the water advances and recedes, afford- 
ing an opportunity for the collector to follow the beach 
down to the lowest tide-mark, and thus make sure of some 
small portion of the beautiful marine vegetation of the 
wondrous ocean. 

The Sea- Weed Zones 

The first band or zone of sea-weeds encountered is that 
of the coarse olive-green sea-weeds commonly called bladder- 
weed or rock-weed. This alga is easily distinguished by the 
double series of round air-vessels with which the fronds 
are studded, and the coarse midrib running up the centre 
of each frond. On all rocky coasts several varieties of this 
family of sea-weeds are to be met with. When trodden on, 
the air-vessels explode with a sharp report; from this fact 
it has been christened the snap-weed by young people living 
on the coast, to whom it affords much amusement. On 
this coarse weed, and under its dark and damp masses, in 

296 



AT THE SEA-SHORE 



the tide pools and on the rocks on which it grows, are to 
be found many varieties of our most deHcate and beautiful 
sea-w^eeds. 

After the olive-green zone has been passed, the bright 
greens, brilliant reds, and purples are reached. 

Sea- weeds are rootless plants, and do not derive their sup- 
port from the earth, as do other plants, but obtain their 
entire subsistence from the water. The small flat disk to 
be found on the end of the main branch is only for the pur- 
pose of adhering to the rocks, stones, or other objects on 
which they may be found attached. 

We have illustrated (Figs. 1-5) some of the most beautiful 




Fig. 3 



Fig. 2 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



types of sea-weeds common on our coast, but they are so 
learnedly and scientifically named (being without common 
names), as, for instance, Polysephonia urceolata, that we have 
depended on the simple figures to enlist the reader's in- 
terest, and have avoided the discouraging scientific names. 

Mounting Sea- Weed 

After the specimens have been thoroughly washed, the 
finest should be separated from the coarser ones, and placed 
in wide and shallow dishes filled with clean, fresh water. 
Sheets of drawing-paper are slipped under the specimens, 
which are arranged in a natural and graceful position as 
they float over the immersed paper. A camel's-hair brush 
and a coarse needle, with the assistance of the fingers, are 
all that are required for the arranging of the sea-weeds on 
the paper. When the specimen is in proper position, it is 
slowly and carefully lifted from the water on the drawing- 
paper, so as to retain the desired position of the sea-weed. 

The mounted specimen should be pinned up for a few 
minutes to allow the water to drip off before placing it in 
the press. There is no need of fastening the plants to the 
paper, as most of the sea-weeds are supplied with a glue- 
like material which fastens them firmly to the paper when 
in the press drying. 

A Sea-Weed Press 

The most simple and cheap sea-weed press that we know 
of consists of two large boards (as shown in Fig. 6, at AA), 
and on the lower board (A) are placed layers of blotting- 

298 



AT THE SEA-SHORE 



paper with layers of clean-washed pieces of old sheeting. 
The sheeting and blotting-paper layers are for the purpose 
of quickly absorbing all moisture from the sea-weeds. As 
soon as the water has dripped off the mounted specimen, 
it is carefully laid on two or three thicknesses of blotting- 




Fig. 6 



Fig. 7 



Fig. 5 



paper; on the face of the sea-weed a piece of the muslin or 
sheeting is laid ; over the sheeting more blotters are placed, 
and on this second layer of blotters another set of sea-weeds. 
In this way all the specimens are disposed of, and the top 
board (AiV) is placed; on this a soap-box is placed, which 
is filled with either sand or stones, by means of which the 
desired pressure is obtained. 

299 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



A Field Press 

For a field press, the most simple form that we know of is 
shown in Fig. 7, which is made out of two pieces of three- 
quarter-inch stuff, well strengthened with a frame of black 
walnut, fastened with three screws in each corner. After 
the sea- weeds are placed in position on one of the boards 
the top board is laid on, and the specimens are brought 
under pressure by means of a stout strap. During the 
stormy days of winter, when you are confined to the 
house, you will find real pleasure in arranging your pretty 
specimens in an album. 

Shell Set for Writing-Table 

The large shell of the periwinkle (Fig. 8) may be mounted 
on a fiat base made by putting wet plaster into a small 

oval box cover. The plaster will 

probably shrink away from the 

shell in drying, so you must not 

forget to glue it fast before gilding 

the base. Fasten a small, moist 

sponge inside, on which to wipe 

Fig* 8 pens. The top of the shell will 

do for a pen-rest. 

A blotter may be made to match of cardboard, shaped 

and painted to look like a large oyster-shell. 

An inkstand may be contrived from an odd group of 
young oyster-shells, with a tiny bottle fixed in the middle 
with plaster so that only its neck is visible. 

300 




AT THE SEA-SHORE 



The seal may be fastened on a quaint handle formed of 
the hard, dry little body of the sea-horse, which is occa- 
sionally found on the beach. 

Add to these the penholder made from the tail of the 
horseshoe-crab, and you will have a very briny set for 
your writing-table. 

Shell Decoration 

One summer, not long ago, the young children of a family 
living near a large city collected shells enough to inlay the 
facing around the fireplace of their summer home. They 
were set in place by an older sister, who arranged the largest 
shells symmetrically in stars and circles, filling the spaces 
between with rows of the smaller ones. Only a small por- 
tion of the mantelpiece was finished at one time, as the 
plaster hardened so quickly. The family are very proud 
of their very successful bit of decoration, and intend to 
supplement it this year by a shell screen to shut off an end 
of the long hall. 



Chapter XXX 

SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

HUNDREDS of young people spend their vacation on 
or near the sea-shore, and have a good opportunity to 
study the wonderful habits of animal and vegetable marine 
life. Therefore we have undertaken to throw out a few plain 
hints as to the management of a salt-water aquarium, in 
which these interesting forms of nature can be observed to 
greater advantage. 

We will start off with one of the small tin-frame tanks 
sold at a low price, or a candy jar, or a small-sized wash- 
tub — any vessel that will hold water, and is not of iron, 
tin, or copper, any one of which will poison the water. 

After washing out the tank carefully, and filling it with 
clear sea-water, we will place in it twelve silver-shrimps 
(bait shrimps). At the end of two days they are dead, and 
you ask why did they die when they had so much water to 
live in. They died of suffocation, after they had breathed 
all the air contained in the water. We will take out the 
dead shrimps, and in the same water place a good handful 
of ulva (sea-lettuce, sea-salad), one of the most common of 
all marine plants, and place the aquarium in a strong and 
direct sunlight, by this means exciting the ulva to work, or, 

302 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

as it is termed, aerify the water. In less than an hour's 
time a froth will be seen forming on the surface of the 
water, adhering to the sides of the aquarium. Now observe 
the ulva closely, and from its edges and surface very fine 
threads of silver bubbles are pouring out and ascending to 
the surface. In an hour's time the water will be thoroughly 
charged with air. We will again place twelve more shrimps 
in the aquarium. This time they will live, and we will have 
established a true aquarium — an aquarium based on the 
self-sustaining principles of nature, wherein it will not he 
necessary to change the water. 

Fish as well as human beings breathe air. Air is con- 
tained in all water. After the shrimps had breathed or 
used the air contained in the water several times over, it 
became unfit to sustain animal life any longer, and so they 
smothered: just the same as if a number of people were 
placed in a room, and all the doors and windows and venti- 
lators were sealed up tight, so that no new air could enter. 
They, too, would suffocate in a short time and die. All 
plants living in water are constantly manufacturing new 
and pure air for their friends and companions the fishes, 
particularly when under the action of sunlight. 

The great secret in establishing a self-supporting aqua- 
rium is to establish a natural balance of water, fish, plants, 
and light, so that none of these agents is wanting in quan- 
tity. For instance, a strong light is required to cause a 
healthy development of the plant life, but not direct sun- 
light, or the plants will be forced too rapidly, and death 
will soon follow. Again, direct sunlight will increase the 
temperature of the water to such an extent that many of 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the fish will die. If the animal life is in excess of the plant 
life and the water contained in the aquarium, the animals 
will perish for want of sufficient air. Again, if the aquarium 
is overstocked with plants, so that they are crowded so 
closely that the light fails to reach some of them, decom- 
position will take place, and ever3rthing will become a de- 
caying mass. In fact, it is only by beginning on a very 
modest scale, with a very few and small fish at first, and by 
gradually increasing the number, that a beginner can ex- 
pect to succeed. Overstocking with animal life and over- 
feeding are the two greatest temptations that beset the 
path to success for the aquariumist; but patience, persever- 
ance, and critical observation will eventually lead to success. 

The greatest care must be taken, and all shells, rock- work, 
sand, and plants must be washed over several times, so 
that no injurious substances may be introduced. 

Ulva, or sea-lettuce (Fig. i), is to be found in abundance 
in all our small bays and inlets at low tide. For the aqua- 
rium, those specimens which are thick in texture, and of a 
dark-green color, only are fit for manufacturing air. Never 
be tempted to make use of the light -green and thin speci- 
mens, as they are not sufficiently matured, and will soon 
decay if placed in the tank. 

Scallopst ShrimpSt and Snails 

Scallops (Fig. 2) when young have a curious way of 
changing their location by means of opening their shells 
and then closing them with great force, which sends them 
ofif at an angle, and so they go dancing along the bottom 

304 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

till they reach a spot that suits them. This shell-fish forms 
a beautiful addition to an aquarium. 

The silver-shrimp (Fig. 3), with figured back (all other 
varieties must be avoided), I have always considered as 




constituting a Board of Health in an aquarium; for no 
sooner does the water become unhealthy than these trans- 
parent and grasshopper-like creatures will make desperate 
attempts to jump out of the tank. These shrimps, and 
the little hermit-crab, and the buccinum (a small black sea- 
snail) are Nature's house-cleaners. They are always on the 
look-out for decaying animal or vegetable matter, which, 
if not in tcxj large quantities, they speedily devour. 

305 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



I have seen these black snails gather on a dead fish from 
a distance of half a mile; in less than a day's time nothing 
was left of the fish but his bones and scales, and these were 
picked so clean that they had a polished look. These snails 
are provided with ribbon -like tongues, from which pro- 
ject a great number of minute and beautifully constructed 
teeth. By passing these tongues backward and forward 
they cut their food down much as a mowing-machine cuts 
grass. These snails are the scavengers of all dead fish and 
vegetable substances found in our bays and rivers, and to 
them we owe a great deal of the purity of our waters. 

Hermit-Crabs and Pipe-Fish 

The little hermit-crab (Fig. 4) lives alone in an empty 
shell, which he carries about with him wherever he goes. 
His reason for living in a shell is because the hind part of 
his body is soft, and not protected with a hard shell, like 
the fore part of his body. The end of the soft body of the 
hermit-crab is provided with hooks, or claspers, with which 
he holds on to the inner chamber of his shell so tightly that 
it is almost impossible to get him out except by breaking 
the shell. Very often these crabs are to be found with a 
colony pi living polyps growing on their shells. These 
polyps are very interesting, from the fact of their being the 
parents of one of our most beautiful jelly-fishes. 

When a hermit-crab grows too large, or so fat that his 
shell pinches him, he hunts up a new one. First he pushes 
his long claws far into it, just to see that no one is inside 
and that it is nice and clean ; then he rolls it over and over, 

306 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

often lifting it so as to judge of its weight. If it suits, he 
drags it close to the entrance of his old home, and in an 
instant he has whisked into his new house. Hermit-crabs 
are great house-hunters, often moving just for the fun of it. 
They are always skylarking with one another like monkeys, 
and, in truth, they are the monkeys of an aquarium. When 
the water in an aquarium becomes bad, they are sure to 
indicate it by leaving their shells and trying to crawl out 
of the tank. In all respects they are the most valuable 
and interesting inhabitants of the aquarium. 

Pipe-fish (Fig. 5) are apt to be delicate; still, if your 
aquarium is in perfect health, and the water is teeming 
with minute animal life, they will get along nicely. Their 
favorite food consists of the eggs of all small crustaceans, 
such as shrimps, sand-hoppers, and lady-crabs. Mrs. Pipe- 
fish does not take care of the children, but Mr. Pipe-fish 
places them in a long folding pocket that runs along the 
under side of his body (which I have tried to show in the 
engraving). When he lets them out of this pocket into the 
vast ocean world to shift for themselves, they are only a 
quarter of an inch long, no thicker than a bristle, and al- 
most transparent. 

A Fresh- Water Aqtiaritim 

Many fresh-water plants have a tendency to grow above 
the surface. When this takes place, the leaves become so 
different in shape that they can hardly be recognized as 
belonging to the same plant. Therefore care must be taken 
to keep all plants submerged that are intended to supply 
air for the fish. 

307 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



One of the most common plants is the mermaid-weed 
(Proserpinaca) . We have drawn it submerged and out of 
water, to show the change in the leaf. It grows along the 
margins of ponds that partially dry up in summer (Fig. 6). 

Water-thyme {Anacharis canadensus) grows in slow-flow- 
ing streams. It requires coaxing to establish it in an aqua- 
rium, but when once rooted, is apt to grow too fast, requir- 
ing thinning out. Heap plenty of gravel on the root ends. 
Do not tie the bunch with string, as it will cause it to 
decay (Fig. 7). 

Nitella flexis is almost a rootless plant, and will grow 
without any care. It is found growing in shady parts of 
cool ponds, streams, and lakes (Fig. 8). 

Fontinalis antipyretica grows in springs and cool, shady 
ponds. It resembles a very fine and long moss. In color 
it is of a beautiful light green. We have often stored up 
quantities of this plant during summer (it becoming per- 
fectly dry), that we might have it for winter use, and when 
placed in an aquarium it started out as fresh as ever (Fig. 9). 

Duck- weed, or duck's-meat (Fig. 10), is a small floating 
plant, covering the surfaces of ponds and lakes in shady 
places. It is one of the best surface plants for producing 
shade, or for cutting off light that enters from the top of 
the water. Its thousands of rootlets afford hiding-places for 
numerous small aquatic animals, such as the hydra, crim- 
son water-spider, and the brick-maker. 

A small stone should be tied to each bunch of plants, to 
anchor them until they take root. 

After your aquarium has been in operation a few days, 
a green coating will begin to form on the glass. This is a 

308 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 



minute plant that is developed by the action of light. Al- 
low it to grow, as it is the favorite food of goldfish and snails. 
We have given drawings (Fig. ii) of the two best kinds of 
snails. One is shown with its broad foot expanded, by 



^ 




— , --' 


J 




^ 


p 




K 


i 


H 




Fig. 


6 


■^rf 




§^~~ 


3 




B 


K 




S; 


1 




k 





Fig. 8 



Fig. 7 



Fig. 9 




Fig. 12 



Fig. n 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



which it moves along the surface of the water, or on the 
glass when eating the green coating spoken of. 

For keeping the water very clear, introduce a small-sized 
fresh-water mussel. Give him at least two inches of sand, 
in depth, in a corner of the tank, to burrow in, but watch 
him well, for if he dies without your knowledge your aqua- 
rium will be ruined. 

Caddis-Worms 

In Fig. 12 are illustrated three kinds of caddis-worms. 
These worms are useful for consuming decaying animal 
matter. When a *'cad" has grown too large for his house, 
he makes a little case of silk, which he covers at each end 
with pieces of leaves, wood, or straw, biting them to the 
right length; some fasten on small bits of stone and shells. 
However rough the outsides of their houses may be, the in- 
sides are smooth, and lined with silk. When he changes 
into a chrysalis, he crawls up a plant, and closes up both 
ends of his house with a strong network of silk, which 
allows the water to pass through, but prevents the entrance 
of enemies. As he has taken care to place himself near the 
surface of the water, he easily escapes when he comes forth 
a four- winged insect resembling a small moth. 

Sticklebacks and Dragon-Flies 

The nine and the three spined sticklebacks (Fig. 13) are, 
without doubt, the most wonderful fish for their size that 
are common to our waters. They will live well in either 

310 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

fresh or salt water aquaria, building nests and raising their 
young under all discouragements. The male builds the 
nest for the female to lay her eggs in. The nest is com- 
posed of plants cemented together with a glue provided by 
the male, who also carries sand and small stones to the 
nest in his mouth, with which he anchors it. During the 
breeding season the male assumes the most brilliant hues 
of blue, orange, and green; previous to this season he is of 
a dull silvery color. When an enemy approaches the nest, 
be he large or small, he will attack him, inflicting wounds 
with his sharp spines. Nor will he allow the mother of the 
young sticklebacks to come near, as she is so fond of her 
babies that she often forgets herself and eats them up. 
When the young **tittlebacks," as they are often called, 
swim too far from the nest, the male takes them in his 
mouth and brings them back, throwing them out with such 
force that they make many somersaults before landing. 
Sticklebacks are the smallest known fish when first hatched 
out of the egg, being nearly invisible. 

Here is the dragon-fly (Fig. 14), as he looks before he 
gets his wings. He lives on the bottoms of ponds when he 
is young; but at a certain age he ascends to the surface, 
and crawling out of his old clothes, comes forth an un- 
mistakable darning-needle. When he lived under the 
water he had very large and long jaws, folded up on the 
under side of his head. If a fish came within reach, he 
would dart out this curious trunk, and seizing it, convey 
it to his mouth. He also has the power of taking in and 
squirting out water from his tail; this action forms a cur- 
rent, which draws small insects within his reach. The 

311 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



taking in of the water is also his method of breathing, and 

the ejecting of it with force propels him through the water. 

Water-boatmen, or boat-flies (Fig. 15), are so named 

from their resemblance to tiny boats with oars. As they 




Fig. t3 




Fig. t4 



Fig. 15 




Fig. 16 

have to swim on their backs, they are provided with large 
and very observing eyes. When they breathe they come 
to the surface. 

It is .best to keep these aquatic insects by themselves, 
as they are all voracious feeders, and fierce in their habits. 
They are not so beautiful in form, color, and motions as 

312 



SALT AND FRESH WATER AQUARIUMS 

fish, but possess a much greater interest as they pass through 
their many transformations. As most of them can fly, the 
aquarium should be provided with a close-fitting frame 
covered with mosquito-netting. 

The crimson-spotted newt (Fig. i6) is one of the most 
inoffensive of all animals for the aquarium, and is valuable 
from the fact that he does not breathe water, but rises to 
the surface to breathe. Every few weeks he casts his skin, 
which he swallows, seeming to relish it, after which he 
comes forth more brilliant than ever. 



Tadpoles and Rock-Fish 

An aquarium without tadpoles (Fig. 17), from which to 
obtain a supply of small frogs, is not much of an aquarium; 
and as they are surface breathers, you can use them freely. 

The rock-fish is a very safe fish for the aquarium, as it 
does not breathe the water, but rises to the surface and 
stores away a supply of air, with which it descends to the 
bottom, remaining for half an hour before it rises for a new 
supply. 

All fresh-water fish (excepting the trout family) can be 
kept in a fresh- water aquarium. Select the very smallest 
specimens; have all of an equal size, to prevent their quar- 
relling ; feed on shreds of raw beef,' or earth-worms that 
have been freed of all earthy matter by placing them in 
damp moss or grass over night. Look out for food not eaten. 



Chapter XXXI 

BUTTERFLY COLLECTING 

THE girl who wishes to form a valuable and pretty col- 
lection of butterflies must set about it in the right 
way. The first thing is to prepare a net. The brass rings 
with handles sold by all dealers in sportsmen's goods for 
landing-nets for fish will answer the purpose, but any in- 
genious girl can make her own frame. Get a smooth, light 
hoop about fifteen inches in diameter. If you cannot find 
one small enough, make it from a barrel hoop. Bind the 
hoop firmly to a rod about three feet long. Now cut out 
a round piece of mosquito-netting about three-quarters of 
a yard in diameter, and fasten it to the hoop. Now the 
net is ready (Fig. i). 

The permanent case for your specimens must be a neat 
shallow box of some pretty wood, with a glass cover. Thin 
pieces of cork should be glued on the bottom at intervals, 
according to the size of your butterflies ; upon these the 
insects are mounted by a slender pin which runs through 
the body. When the case is full, it should be sealed air- 
tight ; for if there is the finest crack, moths will get in and 
ruin your collection. 

You cannot take your case to the fields, 30 you must 

3H 



BUTTERFLY COLLECTING 



have some small paper boxes in which you can mount 
your specimens until the wings are dry and they are ready 
to place in the case. 

The best thing for a youthful naturalist to use to kill 
the butterfly is ether. As it evaporates very quickly, it 
does not injure the color or texture of the beautiful insects, 
and it ends the life of the butterfly instantly and without 
giving pain. There are other things often used by natural- 




Fig.t 



ists, such as cyanide of potassium, but they are dangerous 
chemicals for young folks to handle, and we recommend 
ether as being safe, and sure to kill the butterfly. 

Now swing your net over your shoulder, take the ether, 
which should be in a bottle with a glass stopper to prevent 
evaporation, the box for mounting specimens, and some 
fine pins, and let us start out in search of butterflies. We 
will go first for some of the large ones that fly about the 
fields and by the roadside. 

A quick throw of the net, and — off goes the butterfly, 
sailing away across the sunny field. Hurry over the wall 
and give chase after it. The girl who would entrap a 
butterfly must follow where it leads, and stop neither for 
walls, ditches, nor swamps, or the prize will be lost. 
Now the net descends skilfully, and the great insect is 
fluttering in its meshes. Gather the net carefully in your 

315 



HANDY-BOGK FOR GIRLS 



hand so that the creature will have no room to flutter 
and break its wings. Now pour a very little ether on its 
head — two drops are enough — and it lies motionless. 

Take the dead insect in your hand, touching the wings 
as little as possible, as the delicate down is easily injured, 
and passing a pin through its body, fasten it in the bottom 
of your box. Open the wings carefully, and arrange them 
at once while they are soft and flexible. A pin fastened 
between the wings, not through them, will hold them in 
place until they are dry. 

The Mounting of Btitterflies 

To mount butterflies prepare a setting-board as shown in 
Fig. 2. Put the body into the groove, as here shown, and 



^ 




then, using a fine needle, spread the wings well, the front 
wings being quite well forward, and the hind wings well 
away from the body. Get the antennae in position, and 
put two pins crossed under the abdomen so it does not fall. 

316 



BUTTERFLY COLLECTING 



Put over the wings pieces of stiff cardboard, as in the cut, 
and bind them down with the string. Let them be on the 
setting-boards one week after you think them thoroughly 
dry. If insects become too dry to spread they can be soft- 
ened by putting them, for a few hours, into a closed jar in 
which there is wet sand. 

There are various ways of arranging a permanent butter- 
fly collection, but the best way is to provide a light box 
two inches deep and twenty by twenty- four inches square. 
Have the bottom of cork, and over the top put a cover 
with glass in it. Cover the cork bottom with white paper. 
Insects should be arranged as they are classified in science, 
each with a label below the insect giving scientific name, 
date and place of capture, and with both sexes present. 
With each ought to be placed the other stages of its life, 
if possible: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and cocoon, if it makes 
one. Some prefer to set insects on pins arranged to show 
their color to the best advantage, but this is not so good a 
plan from a scientific point of view. 



Part VI 
AMUSEMENTS AND MISCELLANY 



Chapter XXXII 

PRIVATE THEATRICALS 

PRIVATE theatricals are always good fun, and many 
amateurs will doubtless be interested in the following 
description of how a stage and its accessories may be put 
up in a house without injuring walls or ceilings ; then how 
it may be taken down again and stowed away for future 
use. 

In most private liouses, the parlor, in point of size and 
convenience, especially if the outside public is to be in- 
vited, makes the best room for conversion into a theatre ; 
a large garret, if there is sufficient head room, may also 
be used. Precaution should be taken in selecting a place 
for a stage to see that behind it there is some method of 
access from other parts of the house, that the ordinary 
living-rooms may be made available for dressing-rooms, 
property-rooms, make-up rooms, etc. 

A Home-Made Stage 

A raised stage is very desirable, even though it entails 
additional cost. It will not only add materially to the 
comfort of the spectators, but will conduce very much to 

321 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



the players' effects. A simple way to erect a solid plat- 
form, that will do away with horses and expensive cross- 
supports, which would need the aid of a practical carpenter, 
is to utilize starch, soap, or canned-goods boxes of a similar 
size. Taking it for granted that the width of the average 
room at the disposal of the actors is eighteen feet, get, say, 
fifteen soap-boxes, and place five of them end to. end in 
three rows, as shown at Fig. i . Along the side of each sec- 




Fig.t 

tion of boxes nail a strip of wood to keep the three separate 
rows in line. Place the two outside rows about three 
inches from the baseboard on either side of the room. Then 
take spruce boards sixteen feet long and lay them at right 
angles over the box supports, and fix them to the same. 
Screws are to be preferred, as the stage can then easily 
be taken up and put down again. Following out these in- 
structions, a stage free from spring should be the result. 

If possible, the boards should be covered with a green or 
brown cloth, the thicker the better, in order to deaden the 
sound of feet on the wood. These colors are preferable, 
because they represent either the earth or the greensward. 

322 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



For an interior they make a good groundwork, on which 
may be placed rugs of varying size. 

The Proscenitim Frame 

The most important and at the same time most difficult 
parts of a theatre for an amateur to build are the frame- 
work of the proscenium and the outline of the stage by 
which the scenery is supported. The proscenium is the 
covered front of the stage which, with the curtain, shuts 
off the mysteries behind from the spectators in front. 

Against the boxes at either side of the room, about a 
foot or eighteen inches from the edge of the same, nail 
or screw uprights two inches wide by an inch thick. These 
uprights should reach to within an inch of the ceiling. 
Take, then, a piece of wood, just short of the width of the 
room, and, covering it with something soft, like Canton 
flannel, stretch it across the ceiling of the room, driving 
the ends over the uprights, making a close joint. Two 
similar uprights two feet from the side edges of the stage 
should then be placed in position. Brace them to the 
stage, and have them of a length that when bent under the 
crosspiece stretching across the ceiling they will be firm. 
Braces, as shown in Fig. 2, should be used to impart the 
necessary solidity to a structure which must bear the 
weight of the curtain. 

If the stage is eighteen feet deep, nine feet from its outer 
edge (the footlights) erect similar uprights on the outside, 
with a crosspiece running the width of the room, covered, 
as before, with Canton flannel. At the extreme rear of the 

323 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



stage this arrangement should again be repeated, stays or 
braces being used to give it additional strength. The three 
uprights on either side of the stage should then be braced 
by a board two inches wide and an inch thick running the 
full depth of the stage. By following out these instructions 
the entire stage will thus be outlined by a light but firm 
framework, capable of standing such strain as may be put 




Fig. 2 



upon it by scenery, draperies, hangings. It is almost 
impossible to stretch wires or ropes from wall to wall and 
get a satisfactory result. They are sure to sag, and will 
present a most unbusiness-like effect. The method proposed 
of course entails work and some carpentering skill, but 
really half the fun of amateur theatricals is in devising 
effective substitutes for the conveniences to be found in 
an ordinarily well-appointed theatre. 

324 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



The Certain 

The proscenium must now be covered and the curtain 
hung. If any one in the household has an artistic bent, the 
decoration of this part of the theatre will give his fancy 
an excellent outlet. The material used to cover this outer 
frame should be as light as possible. If the stuff is to be 
painted, white unbleached muslin — or cotton cloth, as it is 
sometimes called — is recommended. This should first be 
sized, and water-colors used. If there is no artistic talent 
to draw upon, something like Canton flannel may be used; 
the artistic colors it now comes in make it possible to pro- 
duce with a curtain of a different shade some very pleasing 
effects. If possible, a curve effect should be given to the 
cloth which stretches across the opening (Fig. 3). 

The curtain once sewed together in perpendicular strips, 
brass rings should be sewed in (five lines equidistant every 
six inches from top to bottom). The top of the curtain 
should then be securely attached to the crosspiece of wood 
running the width of the room, and attached to the bottom 
should be a piece of batten (a stick of wood or gas-pipe). 
This batten should be wider than the proscenium opening, 
so as to prevent the curtain from getting out of place. 

Calling the left-hand side of the stage as you face the 
audience the prompt-side — that is, the place where the 
man who prompts and runs the curtain stands — strong 
white cord is attached to the extreme right end of the bat- 
ten. It is then passed up through the little brass rings 
sewed to the curtain, and through large screw-eyes attached 
to the crosspiece of the proscenium arch. At the left end 

325 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 




Fig. 3 



of this crosspiece should be a large screw -eye, through 
which the cord descends to the curtain -man's hand. Another 
cord should then be similarly attached to the batten at the 
foot of the next row of brass rings, and so on through the 
screw-eyes at the top down to the curtain-man. Similar 
cords should then be fixed wherever there is a row of brass 
rings. The ends of the various cords should then be tied 
together, leaving plenty of slack to twist around a cleat 
on the prompt-side, that they may be made fast when the 
curtain is up. By this arrangement the cords, when pulled, 
will draw the curtain up in a satisfactory manner; but the 
man working them should see that the cords retain their 
relative positions, otherwise the curtain might not fold 
evenly. 

326 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



The Arrangement of Lights 

The proper arrangement of lights is absolutely indis- 
pensable for artistic effects. It is most desirable that it 
should be thrown upon the faces. It shows off the ex- 
pression better. Light from above is apt to cast shadows. 
If there is gas in the house, and the connection can be easily 
made, it is most suitable for footlight uses. The fact that 
it can be controlled makes it doubly advantageous. In 
this way effects of nature can be simulated, and entrances 
of characters upon darkened scenes with lighted lamps or 
candles made entirely realistic. 

In arranging the footlights every care should be taken 
to provide against danger from fire. Have the board 
which covers the support of your stage from the eyes of 
those in front reach about four inches above the stage. 
Line the inside of this elevation above the stage with tin, 
and have the tin extend over the stage its full width, about 
eight inches, to the rear. This will not only protect the 
woodwork thereabouts, but will act as a reflector as well. 
In proportion to your other expenses your footlights and 
accessories will probably cost you quite a little sum, but 
the outlay will be warranted by the results you will obtain 
from having a practical plant. Go to a plumber, and get 
him to take a piece of regulation-size gas-pipe, cut it off 
the width of your proscenium opening, and close one end. 
Then at intervals of eighteen inches have him bore holes 
in it, inserting in each hole an ordinary gas-plug. It will 
not pay you to have too many of these jets, because as 
you will get your gas -supply from one ordinary burner, 

327 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



there will not be force enough to . give you very many 
flames of any considerable size. Set this pipe on the tin, 
and fix it firmly by means of hasps and small wooden 
blocks, so that there is no danger of its toppling over. To 
the open end of the pipe affix a rubber tubing, tying tightly 
the joint, that there may be no leakage, and have the pipe 
run to the nearest side-wall gas-bracket, first removing the 
tip of the same, that the gas may have as free a flow as is 
possible. See to it that the tubing passes to the bracket in 
a way that will prevent its being stepped upon, otherwise 
your lights will be extinguished, and, very probably, your 
efforts as well. The ordinary stop-cock on the bracket will 
thus enable you to regulate the amount of light you wish to 
throw upon the performers and the scene. If it is not pos- 
sible to surround each footlight with a little bulbous wire 
screen, stretch some wire netting, such as is used on hen- 
coops, from the top of the piece of wood which screens the 
light from the eyes of the audience to the rear of the tin 
sheathing (Fig. 3). 

If a gas connection is impossible, lamps may be substi- 
tuted at regular intervals, or candles. If the latter are 
used, those of paraffine that come sixteen to the pound 
should be utilized. Of course, neither of these methods 
will permit you to get graduated effects of light. 

Scenery 

Scenery is the next important element to be considered. 
With that arranged for, your theatre will be ready for 
practical use. 

The usual piece adapted for amateur representation has 

328 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



its action take place indoors. Many a good play has to be 
abandoned by beginners because it is impossible for them 
to rig up anything that will pass current for a wood, land- 
scape, or seascape, as a view of the coast is called. As a 
general proposition it may be stated that for a beginning, 
anyway, a piece had better be selected which calls for an 
in-door scene. 

If extreme simplicity is desired, the use of a back-drop 
and wings is recommended. If there is to be more than 
one play, both requiring interiors, it is more desirable to 
use the same background (much time will be thereby 
saved) , and effect the changes by the use of different hang- 
ings, furniture, and bric-a-brac. 

The back-drop- had better be made on a frame in two 
pieces covered with unbleached muslin — cotton cloth. A 
serviceable arrangement would be to make this frame- 
work on the outline shown in the diagram (Fig. 4). 



W/'dtK of St<^C(« las 3 feet 



) ^ 




V 



V 



^ 



Fiff. 4 



^^ 




HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



(a) Open space for window, (b) Open space for door. 

The material used should be, if possible, pine-wood 
strips two inches wide and one inch thick. The joints 
and corners must, of course, be carefully squared to make 
a good fit. The frame should then be covered with the 
cotton cloth, and if the interior to be used is to represent 
a drawing-room or bedroom, no better method can be de- 
vised than to cover this surface with some appropriate 
wall-paper. For the door and the window separate frame- 
work will, of course, have to be made. Painting these to 
represent the real article will require a study of originals. 
For the wings, for the average depth of stage in a private 
house, two on either side will be sufficient. They should 
be made of the same material as the back frame, and should 
be similarly covered. To screen the sides they should be 
placed at an angle to the footlights. 

For a box scene the sides should be made similar to the 
mounted back frame as just described, arranging them in 
the matter of doors and windows as the action of the aver- 
age play calls for. This means, as a rule, that there should 
be at least one door on each side. If necessary, a door 
opening can very readily be converted into a window open- 
ing to the ground, and either one may be painted on a 
framework covered with muslin, as shown at Fig. 5. For 
modern interiors it is useless to use other than wall-paper, 
and for even mediaeval interiors something appropriate in 
the line can readily be obtained. 

A kitchen or a garret can also be made out of wall-paper 
if the amateur scenic artist at hand finds himself unable 
to cope with the requirements of such a scene. 

230 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



If a palace interior is required, his utmost skill will be 
demanded. He had better take as a model some picture 
from a book. The one freest from architectural ornateness 
is advised. The back frame once covered — as a rule, the 
entrance in it should be in the centre and have an arch — 
the cotton cloth should first be sized, and then allowed to 




Fig. 5 



dry. Sizing is a mixture composed of water and glue, and 
is laid on with a broad brush similar to that employed by 
whitewashers. For coloring purposes dry water-colors must 
be used, mixed w^ith enough water to flow freely. 

As before stated, many a clever little play is barred from 
an amateur's repertoire because an exterior scene represent- 
ing a garden or wood is required. To paint Nature in her 
original mood is a severe task for any amateur artist. It is 
now possible to buy such scenes printed on separate sheets 
of paper, which can be pasted like wall-paper on some 
covered frames. 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



Prompt-Book and Stage-Plot 

The good stage-manager is all important; his duties 
may be thus defined: The play having been selected, 
he must first make his prompt-book. This is necessary 
even when printed stage directions are given, because it 
is not always possible to follow them. Your scenery, in 
the matter and arrangements of doors and windows, may 
not be in keeping with those called for in the printed book,, 
in which case it will be necessary for him to work out his 
own ''stage -plot," as it is called. If, therefore, it is a 
printed book, he should carefully take it apart, and be- 
tween every two pages insert a leaf of blank paper. He 
should take a copy-book, or some blank-book of convenient 
size, and cutting the play from the paper 
or book in sections of an equal length, 
should paste them in regular order on 
every other page of the book, so that 
every section of printed matter will have 
Fig^ 6 a blank page to the left of it, as shown 

in Fig. 6. 
Before writing down on the white pages the stage direc- 
tions referring to the printed text opposite, the stage 
manager should first work out his crosses, movements, bits 
of business, and exits on other slips of paper, transferring 
them only to his prompt-book when he finds that they are 
practicable and what the story of the play demands. 

The work of plotting a play requires great patience and 
not a little work. The stage-manager should first read the 
play over several times, familiarizing himself thoroughly 

332 




PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



with its spirit, purport, and object. Then he should en- 
deavor to work out a plan of action that will bring out all 
these particulars. He should study each character care- 
fully, so that he can determine its exact proportionate 
value to the story, he should think out characteristic bits 
of business that will heighten the efifect of each part, and 
he must devise stage groupings of the characters that will 
make pictures; for a play is really a story illustrated by 
living pictures. The groupings must be so arranged that 
the component parts balance each other. Care must be 
taken that no actor stands in a line with another and so hides 
him; neither should there be a majority of players on any 
one side of the stage. They should be so grouped that an 
artistic equilibrium is always established. Then each page 
of text must be considered, so that the entrances and exits 
are all consistently arranged. Thus, if a character goes off 
through a door on the left-hand side of the stage, say to 
enter that part of the house set apart for the family, it 
must be seen that on his reappearance he does not come in 
through a door which is supposed to communicate with the 
street. All these little points have to be most carefully 
considered. Then when an act or scene has been thought 
out in this way, the exact method of procedure should be 
set down on the blank page opposite the printed page, so 
that when the stage-manager comes to drill his forces, he 
may know just where each character should be during 
almost every line of the play's text. 

In arranging these formulae, some stage-managers take 
a board or table, lining it out with chalk or books just as 
the ground-plan of the stage is. Then with chessmen or 
" 333 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



spools, representing the different characters, they move 
them about until they get a scheme that is perfectly bal- 
anced. Of course when the players begin to actively re- 
hearse, expediency may suggest some changes in the original 
plan; but a well-worked-out stage-plot will seldom there- 
after require change, except in the elaboration of minor 
particulars. 

The Scene-Plot 

A scene-plot is a paper which the stage-manager prepares 
for the use of those entrusted with setting the scenery and 
furnishing the stage. It describes in detail just how the 
scenery is to be arranged, where the doors, windows, and 
fireplaces are to be located, and where the furniture and 
necessary ornaments, etc., are to be placed. It may also 
contain particulars as to how the scene shall be dressed and 
arranged in minor, but really important, details. This in- 
cludes purely ornamental features. 

Taking, for example, an interior scene for some play, the 
stage-manager would make out his scene-plot in some such 
fashion as shown in the plan (Fig. 7). 

Act I. 



^y~ 


^f 


y 




<S7 


^S. 


I 


6 


/o^ 




a 


\ J 


-P 





a. Fireplace, mirror over it ; ornament and clock on mantelpiece, b b. Doors. 
c. Sofa. d. Small table, with writing-materials and bell on same. 
e. Light parlor chair, f. Table, with lighted lamp. g. Entrance, with 
portieres, h. Arm-chair. *. Small chair, j. Table, books and lamp 
on it. k. High-backed chair. /. Window, with curtains. 



Fiff.7 



PRIVATE THEATRICALS 



If the play to be acted needs more than one scene, a 
separate scene -plot must be made for each act. These plots 
once turned over to the property-man, it devolves upon 
him to see that each item called for is supplied and put in 
place on the night of the dress-rehearsal and the actual 
performance. If the house in which the entertainment is 
given cannot supply all these particulars, he must see that 
they are borrowed or hired elsewhere. But in providing 
them the property-man must be held absolutely responsible. 
If the production is an elaborate one, he may, and probably 
will, need an assistant, who will, of course, look to his 
principal for his orders. 



The Property-Plot 

The property-plot is also arranged by the stage-manager 
from his prompt-book. It includes not only the actual 
furnishing of the stage demanded by the action and busi- 
ness of the play, but the individual accessories needed by 
the different players. Thus a property-plot would read as 
follows : 

Clock on mantelpiece, R. (R. standing for right ; L. for left ; C. 
for centre; R. C, right of centre; L. C, left of centre; R. U. E., 
right upper entrance; L. U, E., left upper entrance; R. i E., right 
first entrance; L. i E., left first entrance, etc.). Writing-materials 
(pen, ink, and paper) on table, R. Bell on same. Picture of man 
in uniform, time Napoleon I., on wall, R. i E. Cushions on sofa, 
R. C. Pitcher of water and three glasses on table, L. C. Lamp 
(lighted) on table, R. of C. entrance. Footstool by chair, L. of 
table, L. C. Legal documents for Bilkins, the lawyer. Letter for 
Miss Quotem, Act I. Letter for Miss Quotem, Act II. Bouquet 
for Captain lUiby, Act. III. Etc., etc. 

335 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



The personal properties the property-man must see are 
delivered to each actor before each act. The players them- 
selves will have quite enough to think about without bother- 
ing over details. 

The gas-plot is also arranged by the stage-manager, again 
from his prompt-book, for the use of the man in charge of 
the lights, who probably will also have charge of the curtain. 

In arranging these various plots, it will be seen that the 
stage-manager has a great deal of work to do. He must 
study out each page of his play's text and note down the 
requirements of every word. It is a long and arduous 
task that will tax the patience of any one. 

Most private theatricals suffer from want of punctuality. 
If you would interest your audiences, it is necessary to ring 
your curtain up at the advertised hour and have the waits 
between your acts as brief as possible. Impress on every 
one this fact. Allow plenty of leeway, and leave nothing 
to the last minute. Have everything arranged at least 
twenty minutes before the hour of beginning, and then 
the baneful effects of excitement, which are always sure to 
produce nervousness, will be done away with, and the 
players will be able to give their entire attention to the 
work of supplying a smooth performance. 



Chapter XXXIII 

THE DINING-TABLE 

NO one to-day thinks of laying a dinner-cloth for even 
the simplest family meal without first putting on the 
pad of wool or felt or asbestos, which both saves the polish 
of the wood below and gives body to the linen above. But 
whatever goes under it, the cloth must have a word; the 
shops are full of beautiful linens, the prettiest having small 
patterns, clover leaves and blossoms, pansies, fleurs-de-lis, 
and the dainty old snow-drops predominating. There are 
round cloths for the circular tables, which now are almost 
universal, and these hang much better than do the square 
or oblong shapes when put on a round table. There are 
lovely cloths to be had with drawn- work or lace centres, 
but these are not practical, as they can be used for only 
the most formal of dinners. The plain, heavy damask which 
grows glossier with age is always best to purchase. 

For luncheon there are attractive doilies, and these are 
seen on almost every table (Fig. i) . There are pretty and 
inexpensive sets of plain linen, buttonholed around the 
edge, either with or without a monogram; there are more 
expensive sets which have an openwork border, fringe, 
and embroidery, and lace sets which are less durable than 
either of these. In buying or making any of them there 

337 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



should be a centrepiece, large doilies for the plates and 
dishes, and small ones for the tumblers and little dishes, 
with felt mats to go underneath. 

If doilies are not used at luncheon, then a small cloth 
takes their place, one with a fringed edge, or a band of in- 




Fig. t 
sertion when there is company ; and both for the every-day 
table and for the formal luncheon the napkins should be 
rather small. They may be very beautiful, with drawn-work 
and fringe and embroidery, or they may be damask with a 
fringed edge, with or without a monogram, or they may be 
merely a small-sized napkin of the ordinary sort, if the fam- 
ily is alone. 

The Setting of the Table 

To lay the table for a dinner-party, first arrange your 
flowers, candles, small dishes for bonbons, almonds, olives, 



THE DINING-TABLE 



and the like. Candles are used as the fancy dictates. They 
may be in single sticks, grouped around the flowers in the 
centre, or there may be two candelabra, one on either side 
of the flowers. The little dishes are to be put on irregularly 
toward the central decorations. The cover for each person 
must have as much space as is possible ; about twenty inches 
from the last fork or knife on one side to the edge of the 
napkin on the other will be none too much. In the middle 
lay a large, handsome plate; this is to be lifted and re- 
placed by the hot ones as they come on in turn, being put 
down as the soiled ones are removed, but the small plate 
for the canapes; and that for the oysters or clams, and the 
soup-plate may be laid directly upon it. On the right of 
the plate, nearest to it, comes the roast-knife, next the fish- 




.knife, if one is used; if it is not, then that for the game; 
two knives are all that are laid at the cover generally. Then 
comes the soup-spoon, and, last, the small fork for oysters. 

339 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



On the left is first the large fork, then the second size, then 
the salad-fork. The napkin is beyond the silver, provided 
there is room; if not, it should be folded lightly in a tri- 
angular shape and laid on the plate ; this napkin holds the 
dinner-roll. All the knives and forks needed beyond those 
at the cover may be laid down as the meal goes on, except 
the dessert fork and spoon, which may lie across the top 
of the place plate (Fig. 2) . The glasses are to stand across 
the top also, the tumbler at the right. Some housekeepers 
place the oyster -fork at an angle across the ends of the 
knives and soup-spoon. All vegetables except asparagus 



1 


; 




Hi 




III"' ii'r 


I^BI^H 






prianiwiiiiihiiiiiiiif'ti'i 



Fig. 3 

are served on the meat -plate, so no small dishes are re- 
quired at the covers on a well-set table in these days. 
Bread-and-butter plates are not used at dinner. 

The Lttncheon-Table 

In laying the luncheon - table follow the same plan as 
before. Have a service-plate, and arrange the silver just 

340 



THE DINING-TABLE 



as at dinner, except that there may be one more fork and 
one more knife, and a sherbet-spoon may lie at the top of 
the plate (Fig. 3). There may also be a bread-and-butter 
plate. 

Dinner and luncheon cards lie on the napkin. For a 
formal meal the dinner-cards are extremely plain; if there 
is any decoration, it consists of the hostess's monogram in 
small gold letters at the top. Luncheon -cards, on the 
contrary, may be as fanciful as one pleases. 



Chapter XXXIV 

PICNIC LUNCHEONS 

TO enjoy thoroughly a summer one should understand 
the picnic. Too many who might know all about it 
never really find out its delights. They sit on their porches, 
or drive, or canoe, and once between June and October with 
strenuous efforts they have a picnic — a long day in the 
woods, with a solid meal of bread and butter, cold meat, 
crumbly cake, and warm lemonade, and they remember 
the occasion as a duty performed; necessary, but not al- 
together pleasant. 

There is an expensive but truly desirable article to be 
had at house-furnishing shops which the picnic-lover should 
own — the hamper fitted with plates, knives, forks, and 
spoons, cups and glasses, all fastened in so tightly that 
they cannot slip, and so compactly that there is room for 
the luncheon as well (Fig. i). Once bought, these hampers 
last forever, for the plates and cups are of white enamel, 
and the first cost is only an investment. Half the trouble 
of a picnic lies in packing the breakables so that they shall 
not rattle and chip, and the food which is put in among 
the plates and cups always emerges much the worse for 
its experience. However, the ingenious girl who cannot 

342 



PICNIC LUNCHEONS 




Fig. t 

buy one of these ready-made affairs may take a Japanese- 
straw telescope bag and have the harness-maker fit it with 
straps, and not be so very far behind her sister with the 
hamper. 

Getting Ready 

In preparing the luncheon, lay out first what will be 
needed to spread the informal table. Count out plates — 
wooden ones, unless you have the enamel; stout tumblers; 
cups without handles, to avoid breaking; knives, forks, 
and spoons of no especial value; paper napkins; a small 
table-cloth ; and shakers for the salt and pepper. Take the 

343 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



coffee and lemonade in glass fruit -jars. Have pasteboard 
boxes for sandwiches, and others for cold meat and cake ; 
put only one sort of food in each receptacle. Be sure 
to take a good -sized piece of ice in a covered tin pail 
if you are to have a noon meal; if the picnic is toward 
evening, then instead of any cold drink have hot tea, by 
all means. Take a kettle and boil it over a fire, for this is 
half the pleasure of the occasion ; if you are going to some 
place where you are not sure of wood, take a small bottle 
of alcohol and still have the tea ; a heavy earthenware tea- 
pot is a wise thing rather than something frail. Do not 
forget the loaf-sugar, a bottle of cream, and some lemons; 
put these last, with the dry tea, in a box by themselves. 

The Salad 

Begin preparing the luncheon by making the salad, as 
this can stand better than an3rthing else. A fish salad is a 
good choice for a picnic, and shrimps make an excellent 
one. Lay them in ice-water for an hour, then remove the 
small black string from each one and dry; take hard-boiled 
eggs, half the quantity of the shrimps, and cut in rather 
large pieces; make a stiff mayonnaise without mustard, 
and mix all together. Salmon, freed from skin and bones 
and drained, may be used in the place of the shrimps. 
Lobster is also to be prepared with the eggs and mayonnaise 
in exactly the same way, but a little dry mustard should be 
added. Chicken salad is always sure to be appreciated; 
make it, if you prefer, with the chicken which comes in 
tins, adding the meat last to the eggs and dressing, as there 

344 



PICNIC LUNCHEONS 



is danger of its becoming mussy. If you wish a salad 
made without fish or fowl, take the hard-boiled eggs and 
mix with cut-up olives and mayonnaise. Or take yellow 
wax-beans cooked whole, well dried and salted, and add a 
spoonful of mayonnaise from a salad- jar on each plate. 
As to cold meat, try pressed chicken in a loaf. Make it by 
simmering a fowl till the meat drops from the bones; ar- 
range this in a mold with seasoning, cook the broth down 
till it is just enough to fill the mold, and pour over it; 
this will set firm and may be sliced at the picnic table. 
Veal loaf is also excellent ; and there is fried chicken which 
has been jointed and skinned, also cold tongue, cold lamb, 
and ham. 

Deviled eggs go well with cold meat when they have not 
been used in salad ; plain hard-boiled eggs are very indiffer- 
ent eating, and these will repay the little trouble it takes 
to prepare th^m. Cut them in two, remove the yolk and 
mash it with salt, pepper, and a little dry mustard; wet 
with a very little vinegar, and replace, pressing the two 
halves together; roll each egg separately in paraffine 
paper. 

If there were no olives in your salad, take a bottle of 
these, but pour off the brine and rinse them, putting them 
dry in the bottle, and corking again. Little cucumber 
pickles are also nice to take, but they must be wiped dry 
one by one and carried in a box by themselves, or they will 
scent the whole luncheon until ever3rthing tastes of vine- 
gar and nothing else — enough to spoil the finest and most 
carefully prepared meal. Pimolas, little mangoes, chow-chow, 
and all the different relishes taste better than usual in the 

345 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



open air, but one or two kinds are enough to take. Never be 
induced to take jelly in any form, for it is simply messy on a 
picnic plate. 

One of the most delicious picnic dainties, when a bonfire 
is to be made, is bacon toasted in the flames and eaten be- 
tween slices of buttered bread. The bacon may be sliced 
at home and the bread buttered. Then a forked stick 
does the rest, and you never tasted anything more appe- 
tizing. 

Sandwiches 

The sandwiches for a picnic should be made with some- 
thing not too dry. Lettuce spread with French dressing 
or mayonnaise will come out perfectly moist and fresh. 
Home-made potted meat is good to use, unless cold meat 
is taken. Chopped hard-boiled eggs wet with mayonnaise 
make a delicious filling, but should not be taken if salad is 
the main dish of the meal. Boned sardines wet with lemon 
juice, finely chopped cucumbers with French dressing, thin 
bread and butter, brown or white, spread with caviare, 
cream cheese mixed with whipped cream, chopped water- 
cress, and simple bread-and-butter spread with mayonnaise 
or tartare sauce are all delightfully appetizing. The best 
plan is to have at least two kinds of sandwiches, some with 
fish or meat, and others with something green or piquant. 
Sweet sandwiches alw^ays seem out of place at a picnic, 
but if you wish a few, make them with orange marmalade 
or raspberry jam, using only a little for fear the bread 
may become wet With the juice. 

34^ 



PICNIC LUNCHEONS 



Cake 

As to cake, never, never take layer cake to a picnic. 
Who does not recall the sticky mass of chocolate which 
emerges from even the best of packing, or the crumby, 
sliding layers of cocoanut sprinkling every one with bits 
of stickiness? Only cakes which are firm are fit to be 
taken on such expeditions. Bake some small round ones 
of a sponge mixture, or try a loaf of fruit-cake baked in a 
bread-tin and carried uncut. Or make a soft gingerbread, 
and just before you put it in the oven cover the top with 
blanched almonds split in halves; these will sink in half- 
way, but not to the bottom, and the few which remain on 
top will only add to the appearance of the loaf; the com- 
bination is really novel and good. Then there are crisp, 
fresh sugar cookies and ginger snaps, and besides these there 
is something new and most delicious, a sort of sublimated 
nut wafer: Mix five level tablespoonfuls of sifted flour with 
a pinch of baking-powder and a quarter of a teaspoonful of 
salt, and sift again; add half a pound of light-brown sugar, 
a cup of English walnut meats broken into bits but not 
chopped, and two eggs beaten together. Spread thin over 
well-buttered tins and bake in a moderate oven till pale 
brown; when perfectly cold cut in strips, and then remove 
these from the pans. 

Frapped Frtfits 

Frapped fruits may well take the place of ice-cream at a 
picnic, and with less trouble in preparation. To make a 

347 



HANDY-BOOK FOR GIRLS 



freezerful, pack it as usual with ice and salt, but do not 
put in the dasher. Cut up a few oranges, some white 
grapes, a banana or two, and shred a pineapple; sweeten 
and put in two or more tablespoonfuls of sherry, and close 
the freezer; when you open it stir well before serving. 
Frozen watermelon is one of the most delicious of the 
chilled fruits, and in the late summer it is at its best. Choose 
a very large and well-ripened melon and take out the pulp 
in large, rounded spoonfuls. Put these in the freezer, and 
to every layer of the fruit add a half cup of powdered sugar 
wet with sherry. When the freezer is full, close it, and 
pack well with ice; this must stand at least five hours be- 
fore it is ready to use, but it well repays the time it takes. 

The suggestions contained in these pages (they can 
hardly be called more than that in many cases) touch on a 
wide variety of subjects, and therefore cannot be thorough 
in each. The plan has been to give to every reader, no 
matter what her tastes, the chance to experiment in new 
lines of activity. Should she wish to study any one of 
these subjects more thoroughly, she will find many books 
which treat more in detail the branch in which she is in- 
terested. The best wish we can leave with her is for a 
lasting enthusiasm and ultimate success in her chosen 
field. 



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